Monday, January 15, 2007
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Part 10 of 44
TEXT: "Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess." 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." I 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' " (Luke 18:9-14).
IDEA: Religion can lead us into handling our guilt in dangerous ways.
PURPOSE: To have listeners realize that there are wrong ways to deal with their guilt.
Martin Luther made one of his sweeping statements that almost takes your breath away. He said: “There are two sorts of people: sinners who feel they are righteous, and the righteous who know they are sinners.”
What do you think of that evaluation?
Jesus appears to endorse it in His parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. He puts two men on stage who stand in sharp contrast to each other. See this in Luke 18:9-14.
Those who are sinners trying to feel righteous have several techniques they use to pull that off:
They practice negative obedience,
They practice petty obedience.
I. The third technique: They practice comparative obedience.
The Pharisee practiced obedience by comparison.
The parable is introduced as being addressed to “those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others” (v. 9).
The Pharisee congratulates himself on his superiority (v. 11).
Do we practice obedience by comparison?
That’s the power behind gossip. We compare ourselves favorably with others. (When we compare, we always compare down, not up.)
That’s why we like to read about scandals that happen in the lives of political and religious leaders: “Who could imagine doing something like that!”
We make ourselves judges in order to escape judgment (Romans 2:3). We censure others to keep away from dealing with out own guilt.
Comparative obedience can even keep us from feeling the impact of this parable. The tax collector might have used it: “I thank You that I am not like that Pharisee!” We can use it to criticize the religion of others depicted in the parable, and thus deflect the teaching of the parable as it intersects my life.
II. By the use of these techniques, the Pharisee deflected criticism of himself.
Do you think the techniques worked?
Do you think he dealt with his guilt feelings?
Did he deal with his guilt?
He might have been more emotionally stable as a result of these techniques, but he was closer to hell.
