Monday, January 29, 2007

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Part 20 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: The tax collector reminds us that we will never get rid of feelings of repressed guilt until we deal with sin God’s way.

PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate what it cost God to forgive our sin.

Suppose you feel deep guilt for your sin, and you needed to know how to deal with it Gods way and you weren’t just satisfied to cover up guilt feelings. You really wanted to deal with guilt. To whom might you go for advice?

Your pastor?

Another religious leader?

Without negating that, you might want to consult someone who had been through that experience himself. The tax collector in the story in Luke 18:9-14 of the Pharisee and publican gives us a workable lead on how to deal with guilt God’s way. Look at these things for some help:

We must stand where the tax man stood.

He was in the temple before God, and he recognized his desperate need.

We must look where the tax man looked.

He looked to a sacrifice, but we look to a far more noble sacrifice than was ever offered on a temple altar.

We must pray what the tax man prayed: “God, have mercy on me, the sinner!”

“I don’t minimize my sin. I am the worst of sinners. I know that the penalty for my sin is death. But, O God, be satisfied with the worthy substitute that has paid the penalty for my sin in my place.”

We must hear what the tax man heard: the reassuring verdict. “This man went down to his house justified.”