Watumishi wa Neno

Text: Luke 18:9-14

Introduction

When I was young, the fairy tale of snow-white and the seven dwarfs was narrated to me. In the fairy tale an evil queen thought she was the most beautiful of all. She was actually famed for her beauty. Mirror Mirror who is the fairest of them all, was what she asked her magic mirror … only for one day to discover that she was not the fairest or most beautiful. Looking at this evil queen and looking at the Pharisee, we see a similar attitude in both and that is the attitude of pride.

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.

What makes us confident in our own righteousness? I think it’s pride, is it? Have we ever known anyone like this? Have we ever been this way ourselves?

Just like the Pharisee, there are Christians who boast in the things they do, they think that by keeping to a set of legalities, they are right with God.

This parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector gives us a good picture of those who think they are righteous by what they do and look down on others. This is a parable of contrasts.  Two men, one a Pharisee and the other a Tax Collector went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee is very confident of his standing with God and also really, really self righteous. The tax collector however stands at a distance, head bowed and mutters this words “God have mercy on me, a sinner.” To this Jesus says that the tax collector went home justified before God.

Which of this do you identify with? 

Could we have forgotten that it’s by grace we are saved and not by works lest any one of us should boast (Eph. 2:8-9).

The Pharisee and the tax collector have three things in common, they stand to pray; they both address God directly; they both wanted God to hearken his ear to their prayers

Two differences – The Pharisee self confident and self righteous

Tax collector- ashamed of his state, – he knows he is a sinner in need of God’s mercy.

1. The Pharisee

The Pharisee is typical of those religious people who look upon themselves as more holy and spiritual and exalt themselves above the others.

Look the attitude of the Pharisee when he comes before God. He comes before Him in pride praying to God and telling God of how he is not like other people. He exalts and praises himself here. (v 11-12). I thank you God I am not like other people- (I am the fairest of them all) He tries to prove to God of how good he is by “reading a list of what he is not and what he does”.

I’m not greedy, I’m not unrighteous, I’m not an adulterer, I fast twice a week- more than the times required in the mosaic law, I give a tenth of everything I get; I’m not even like this tax collector….Wait a minute , did he just  say that? Can you imagine us coming before God with such an attitude! The Pharisee sees himself as worthy, in fact I think he has justified himself as worthy, good and acceptable to God unlike the tax collector and unlike other people.

Is there anything positive with the Pharisee? The Pharisee is portrayed as a very religious and spiritual person, he fasts twice a week, gives a tenth of all his income to the work of God ….This is alright, but…we are not saved by good works. Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you are saved, not from works, lest anyone should boast.

Perhaps in our day we would boast of going to church without fail, tithing every month, giving regularly, giving to charities, supporting missionaries and the list goes on and on…. Back in my village someone may boast of visiting the pastor and taking him eggs and vegetables.

A problem arises, however, when we are “confident in our own righteousness” or “trust in” our own righteousness to save us and justify us before God. When we move from righteous living — which is right — to trusting in that righteous living to give us a standing before God, then we commit a great mistake. In that case it becomes self-righteousness. And this Pharisee does. He compares himself with the tax collector. This is a sign of self righteousness… Mirror Mirror who is the fairest of them all. Are you the fairest of them all?

2. The Tax Collector

The tax collector also stands and addresses God. He stands far off from the Pharisee. See how h e prays, he beats his chest, crying to God to have mercy upon him .He describes himself as a sinner. He begs God to have mercy on him; His has come to true repentance and casts himself with unreserved confession of sin before the feet of God.

Unlike the Pharisee, this taxman has no list of the good things that he has done, he has nothing to boast about. Perhaps he has done some good deeds! But he does not come before God on the account of the good he may have done.

From history tax collectors used to exploit people… the Pharisees were even shocked that Jesus dined with such. Luke 5:1 -26… The tax collectors followed the law of the Roman oppressors. It was their job to collect taxes for the Romans. Tax collectors weren’t just hated because they were considered turncoats and traitors. They were also considered cheaters. They would sometimes assess more taxes than was legal. If those required to pay taxes did not pay taxes they would turn them over to the soldiers. Extortion and threats were part of this system. People loved to hate the Tax collectors. They must have been were considered the scum of the earth.

Though a sinner he does not wish to remain like that but rather he wants to change:

• Standing at a distance. He doesn’t feel worthy to draw close to God or the temple.
• Not raising his eyes to heaven, but standing with head level or bowed, as a sign of his sense of guilt.
• Beating his breast. He pleads for mercy. “God, turn Your wrath from me sinner!” He confesses his sin; he pleads for mercy, he comes to God through the right way, with the right attitude. An attitude of humility .This man knows that he is wretched with sin and needs God’s forgiveness. The only way to reach God is through humility!-

The story of Jesus and the children that follows this (18:15-17) underscores this point. Humility is the mark of the men and women who follow Jesus. “The kingdom of God belongs to such…”

In that story. Jesus highlights a paradox of the spiritual life — exalting one self leads to humbling, while humbling leads to exaltation. Jesus’ brother James carries on this theme when he says: “‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ “(James 4:6) When we are proud, we make ourselves into God’s opponent, his enemy. May humility be the mark of your character and mine, as well!

It isn’t hard to see the contrast between them — the self righteous Pharisee and the morally bankrupt, turncoat tax collector.

What makes us confident in our own righteousness? Have you ever known anyone like this? Have we ever been this way ourselves? Is your mirror telling you are the fairest of them all?

I think we should we should identify ourselves with the Pharisee. It’s very easy for us cling to what we do- to be right with God and forget that it’s by grace that we are justified and made right with God.

Conclusion

Can you imagine the impact Jesus’ parable had on the Pharisees present? They must have been livid with anger. How about the crowd? They were amazed, wondering, pondering. But the prostitutes and tax collectors, thieves and adulterers in the audience may have been weeping, for Jesus had declared that it was possible for them to be saved, to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be justified before God. There was hope for them yet. Jesus had given them hope. “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear….”

Mirror Mirror! Who is the fairest of them all? What is your mirror telling you? Is it saying you are the fairest of them all?

Friends:

1. We are saved by God’s grace and mercy, not by our righteous deeds.
2. God rejects the haughty, but welcomes the humble. I can see myself here. I must guard against the sin of pride. Instead, I must humble myself and be thankful for the grace of God.
3. We cannot and we must not look down on others. While they may be sinners, they are certainly not beyond God’s forgiveness. In the final analysis the only thing that saves either of us will be God’s forgiveness, and not our pure lifestyle.

Theme: God gives grace to the humble, but he resists the proud.

Aim: Come to God in humility and you will receive mercy and grace without measure.