Luke 18:9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector.

11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I
thank You that I am not like other men: extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

12 `I fast twice a week: I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much
as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God,
be merciful to me a sinner!'

14 "1 tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other: for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Today we look at one of the more familiar parables. The problem
with this parable is that no one wants to see themselves as they
are in the sight of God. We all naturally tend to relate to the
sinner. I know that quite honestly my reaction to the Pharisee
in this parable is "What a jerk." How could anyone be that
spiritually dead.

And unfortunately, or fortunately, that is exactly why Jesus
gave this parable, because each of us has some of the Pharisee
in us. Now that I have given my very short take on the parable,
let us look at more in depth and see what reflection of our
souls and encouragement to spiritual growth that we can see in
it.

As is often the case we are given the situation that brought on
the parable. Jesus was speaking this parable to people who:

1.	Trusted in their own righteousness, and,

2.	Despised other people.

And while this parable seems to be directed at the Pharisee, it
also has application to whatever Pharisee may be in each of us.

Now we have spoken at length in this church about the necessity
of depending on the righteousness of Christ for our standing
before God. We can never overestimate the importance of that.

The worst thing that we can do spiritually is to suppose that
somehow we can do something to merit, or be worthy or to earn
the smile of God. That is not to say that He does not love us,
for He does in an incredible way. However that love for us is in
spite of the efforts that we make to deserve it. God loved
first. That love is based on who God is, not on what we do. If
you are in any way depending on your efforts, or goodness to
earn the smile of God, it is not going to happen. What He
desires from us is a total dependence upon HIS goodness and
mercy.

We will not belabor that point.

The next thing mentioned about the people around Jesus that
caused Him to tell this parable was that they despised others.

Now at first glance we may think that this means that they were
angry or filled with hatred for others. The word that Jesus uses
here describes a religious pride that the Pharisees represented
in it's most disgusting form. The term literally means, "to
count as nothing."



Paul uses this term to describe how we are to relate to the
world.

But these two terms have a unique relationship. When a person is
quite proud of his infallibility, or correctness, or goodness in
any form, it follows that he will see himself as superior to
anyone who does not reach his self-assessed level of goodness.
In other words, belief in one's

own superiority leads to arrogance which must put others in some
way lower than one's self to maintain a lofty position.

Let us do a brief comparison and contrast between the two
pray-ers.

Both came before God to pray. They pray in the same temple at
the same time. Both look into their own lives and what they see
there is reflected in their prayers.

But there were differences. Their lifestyles were different. One
was a proud law keeper. One was a penitent law breaker. The
Pharisee assumed a righteousness that he did not have. The
publican did not have righteousness or profess any. The Pharisee
had a form of godliness, but denied the power, to depend upon
his own. The publican denied the form and power of godliness.
The Pharisee was a hypocrite. The publican was a anything but a
hypocrite. The Pharisee looks into his heart and sees only good.
The publican looks into his heart and sees only evil.

OK. Let's focus on the Pharisee. Here was a man we would be
proud to have in our church. He showed up when it was time to
show up, and probably brought a big offering. He fasted twice a
week to make his prayers more effective and prove the mastery of
his body. He returned a faithful tithe. He was sure of what he
believed and was probably also caught teaching from time to time.

Let's look carefully at the text again.

11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I
thank You that I am not like other men: extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

12 `I fast twice a week: J give tithes of all that I possess.

He stood and prayed. It is interesting that Jesus uses two
separate words for stand in this parable. The word that Jesus
used with the Pharisee indicates that he took up an upright
position, held his head high in a picture of security and
self-satisfaction.

The word for stood when the publican is referred to describes a
standing with a bowed head and attitude of contrition.

But who was he praying to or with? Himself. His prayer was a way
of dealing with the movings of the Holy Spirit that made him
uncomfortable with who he was. So he prays to boost his feelings
about himself. He addresses God in a voice that could be clearly
heard. He wanted the other men, the extortioners, the unjust,
the adulterers, and yes, the humble tax collector to hear what
he was going to say.

He wanted them to know that his lifestyle was one that they
could only hope to attain in their fondest dreams. He wanted
them to see him as a person who had an iron strength of will,
and could over come self and temptation. OH yes, God, thank you
that I am such a great person. Oh yes, God, I am just the kind
of person who should represent you and your holy righteousness.
And yes, God, these people here need to realize that and honor
me for it. Even in the way I pray, God, I keep myself from the
sinners and



unrighteous that come to your house. That will help them to see
what righteousness really is.

His prayer was 34 words long to the publicans 7 words. In his
prayer he relies on negative morality for justification. And his
prayer reflected his life which was a small circle around
himself. I, I, I, I, I. Five times he points God to himself.
There was no lowly feeling of what he owed God. No thanksgiving
for what God had done for him, or given him. No word of praise
for the goodness or glory of God. The only thanksgiving he had
was self-congratulatory. He asks for nothing, confesses nothing,
and he receives nothing.

The three things that he wasn't are interesting. He was not an
extortioner. He knew that most tax collectors were exactly that.
And he hoped the publican heard.

He was not unjust. It was an assumption that all tax collectors
- publicans were cheats and frauds collecting more than was due.
He hoped the people heard that he was not like the publican.

He was not an adulterer. The most awful of sins. Adultery
represented the break between God and His people. And perhaps he
suspected the publican to be an adulterer. If he was not, no
difference. The people heard him congratulating himself.

Then as the final coup, he informs God and the praying
congregation that he was not like this publican. As Augustine
said, " This is to insult."

Then he presents his goodness to God. I fast. Good Pharisees
fasted Mondays and Thursdays much of the year.

I tithe all I possess. The law only required tithe on gains, but
he tithes everything.

He tries to make God his debtor by parading his goodness. And he
does this without acknowledging God's goodness, or his own need,
or any confession of sin.

One person made the statement that a man's religion can be his
ruin. The very strictness of life may result in perdition simply
because the person becomes blinded to his real sinful state, and
the perfection of a holy God.

Now let's look at the other sinner.

The Pharisee stood apart from the crowd to keep himself clean.
The Publican stood apart because of his shame and feelings of
worthlessness. He is painfully aware of his guilt.

And who was this publican? He was a renegade Jew who worked for
the Roman government collecting taxes. Tax collectors could
become wealthy, as Zacchius did, but they were considered to be
corrupt and traitorous, and were hated by the people. Many times
they were not even allowed to come into the temple. But he was
there.

Cranshaw wrote a line of verse to describe this scene:

"Two went to pray; 0! rather say,

One went to brag: th'other to pray.

One stands up close, and treads on high.

Where th'other dares not send his eye.

One nearer to God's altar trod,

The other (nearer) the altar's God."

The Publican's short seven word prayer emphasizes 3 features:

1.	I am a great sinner.

2.	I deserve punishment.



3. 1 beg for pardon of sin, mercy, and remission of punishment.

The Pharisee is proud of his merits. The Publican pleads for
mercy. Heaven listens carefully to a sinner feeling his sense of
inferiority, and claiming the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

One lesson we need to learn from the Publican' s confession is
that one of the foundations of character is a personal sense of
sin. Sin is separation from God. To be concerned about that
separation is not morbid, but is essential for life, now and
eternal.

Win. B. Gladstone was once asked what was the greatest lack of
modern life. He stated a great truth when he said when he said,
"Ah, a sense of sin; that is the great lack of modern life."

And he could have not spoken more truly. A sense of sin is what
brings us to see how desperately we need a savior.

Speaking of the publican Jesus said:

14 "1 tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other:

The truth is that both went home justified. The Pharisee went
home still wrapped in his emperors suit of justification, that
he crowed so loudly about in the temple. His self-justification
was unapproved and unaccepted before God.

The publican went home justified by God He recognized his true
state, and by the grace of God went home with the joy and
assurance of sins forgiven.

Jesus closes with one last bit of commentary:

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted."

This is good advice in the world that we live in today. The
person who constantly touts their interests and their agenda,
may have a certain amount of success, but in the end, they are
not generally appreciated.

The person who serves, will almost always be appreciated.

But Jesus is not speaking specifically about the work-a-day
world. He is speaking of eternity. The final word of summation
is this: HUMILITY.

This is not an inferiority complex. This is not a belief that
one has no talents or abilities. Humility is recognizing all as
brothers and sisters in need of our compassion and concern.
Humility is joyfully putting our talents and abilities forward
for the use of God's work. Humility is recognizing that there
are some of God's children that can do some things better than
you, and rejoicing in that fact with them.

But most of all, humility is an acknowledgment that in our flesh
we can accomplish no lasting good, nothing of real merit.
Humility is seeing our worthlessness, and rejoicing in the value
placed upon us and every other creature by our Lord.

When we bow to serve, we are on our way up. When we scramble to
get to the top, we are doomed. Haughtiness God hates. Humility
God honors with eternal rewards.

The bottom line: The truly wise have learned that the only way
up is down.

Have you learned that lesson?