Sunday, May 15, Lesson: Luke 18:9-14; Time of Action: 30 A.D.; Place of Action: On the way to Jerusalem

Transcription

1 Sunday, May 15, 2016 Lesson: Luke 18:9-14; Time of Action: 30 A.D.; Place of Action: On the way to Jerusalem Golden Text: I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted (Luke 18:14). I. INTRODUCTION. Have you ever wondered whose prayer does God hear and answer? Is God more likely to hear the prayer of a preacher or a politician, a seminary professor or a factory worker, a missionary or a drunkard? If we ask such a question of an average person, he or she would probably say that the religious professional in each case would have the better chance of God hearing their prayer. Scripture reveals that God doesn t rate prayers according to one s occupation or profession. A religious lifestyle can hide a wicked heart, and beautiful prayers are sometimes offered to impress men rather than to talk to God. On the other hand, a layperson may be more honest before God and men

2 because he has less to hide. The condition of one s heart before God, determines whether God hears the prayer. The psalmist wrote, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me (see Psalms 66:18). On the other hand, the prayer of the upright is his delight (see Proverbs 15:8). In this week s lesson, Jesus contrasted the prayers of the most respected members of Jewish society and the least respected. In doing so, Jesus reveals the spiritual priority He places on humility. II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON. This is a continuation of Jesus teachings while on His way to Jerusalem for His final time (see Luke 13:22). He gave the parable of the ambitious wedding guest (see Luke 14:7-14), the parable of the great supper (see Luke 14:15-24), and three parables about the cost of discipleship (see Luke 14:28-35). Then, when surrounded by Pharisees, publicans and other sinners, Jesus gave the parables of the lost sheep (see Luke 15:3-7), the lost coin (see Luke 15:8-10) and the lost son (see Luke 15:11-32). Following the teachings on these parables, Jesus taught about the proper use of money with the parable of the unjust steward (see Luke 16:1-13). He rebuked greed and taught about divorce (see Luke 16:14-18), and then Jesus gave the story of Lazarus and the rich man (see Luke 16:19-31). He continued His teaching by giving instructions regarding offending, forgiving and faith (see Luke 17:1-10) followed by the cleansing of the ten lepers

3 (see Luke 17:11-19). Then Jesus foretold His second coming (see Luke 17:22-37). This brings us to Jesus teaching in chapter 18 from which our lesson comes. Jesus began by giving His hearers two parables on prayer: persistent prayer (see Luke 18:1-8) and the parable of the Pharisee and the publican which is the focus of this week s lesson and where our text begins. III. JESUS ILLUSTRATION OF PRAYER BY WAY OF A PARABLE (Luke 18:9-10) A. A parable with a purpose (Luke 18:9). Our first verse says And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. Jesus spoke this parable to a group of listeners which included the scribes and Pharisees (see Luke 17:20), the religious leaders who considered themselves the spiritual elite of Israel. Certainly, there were others in Jesus day who were afflicted with religious pride, but on this occasion, Jesus words were meant especially for the scribes and Pharisees who trusted in themselves that they were righteous. In other words, they were selfrighteous. They had placed their confidence in their own righteous acts and therefore believed that they were accepted before God. Their self-confidence rested on the fact that they observed the ceremonies of the law as well as the traditions of the rabbis. Those who would be like the scribes

4 and Pharisees today, are ones who put confidence in their faithful observance of certain church rituals, abstaining from things considered worldly, and their charitable activities. An even uglier part of their self-righteousness was the fact that these religious leaders also despised others. The word others refers to anyone outside of their select group. The scribes and Pharisees considered those people to be less spiritual than they were. So they despised or looked down on others and treated them with contempt. Note: These religious leaders had such zeal to maintain purity that they wouldn t dare to show compassion for others. They held everyone else at arm s length for fear of defiling themselves or soiling their reputations. They gave alms (money given for the poor), but they usually did it in the temple so that they might receive praise from men (see Matthew 6:2). An attitude of pride is always a hindrance to our spiritual growth and sometimes that pride is evidence of no spiritual life at all. The believer who submits to the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit will have compassion on others and a real concern for their spiritual health. B. Two men with a purpose (Luke 18:10). This verse says Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. Jesus began His parable by referring to two men who went up into the temple to pray. The purpose of the two men was going to the temple to pray. Certainly, this was

5 indeed a noble act which Jesus had made clear in the preceding parable (see Luke 18:1-8). Jesus then says that the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The parable first introduces a Pharisee. By New Testament times, the Pharisees had become the largest and most influential religious Jewish sect. They accepted the entire Old Testament as well as many oral traditions. They considered themselves the protectors of the Jewish faith. Note: The Pharisees were represented in the Sanhedrin Council (see Acts 23:6), but their greatest influence was among the people. They were often in opposition to another powerful religious sect, the Sadducees who controlled the high priesthood, and therefore the political life of Israel. Since the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the body as well as the existence of angels, they were often at odds with the Pharisees (see Acts 23:6-8). The other person in Jesus parable was a publican or a tax collector. Publicans were at the opposite end of the social spectrum from the Pharisees and were despised by most Jews. Note: Both men went up to the temple to pray. We might expect to find the Pharisee there, since he was a religious professional. It s more difficult to imagine the publican coming to pray in the temple, since he wouldn t feel welcome there among his countrymen, and many wouldn t feel that he would be praying with sincerity. The hatred Jews had for publicans was due not only to the natural hatred to paying taxes, but there were also other factors. First, publicans collected tolls and customs for Rome, a hated foreign power. While the Romans had regular imperial officials to collect direct taxes, they sold the privilege of collecting various tolls and

6 customs to the highest bidders. A Jew who contracted to do this for the Roman government was considered a traitor. Many Jews believed that paying taxes to Rome was a sinful act, so a publican was seen as an apostate, or non-believer in God, as well as a turncoat. Second, since publicans contracted to pay Rome a fixed amount, they had to collect more than that to make their enterprise profitable. In many cases, they added exorbitant rates in order to enrich themselves. When tax collectors came to John the Baptist to be baptized, they asked him what shall we do? John replied saying exact (or collect) no more than that which is appointed you (see Luke 3:13). When Scripture says that Zacchaeus, the chief publican at Jericho was rich (see Luke 19:2), we don t have to wonder how he became rich. We can easily understand why the terms publican and sinner were often considered to be the same thing (see Matthew 9:11), and why tax collectors were put in the same category as harlots (see Matthew 21:31). To the Pharisees, publicans were the scum of society, the opposite of all that a man should be. Therefore, it was believed that God would not answer their prayers. However, Jesus knew that a publican, like any sinner, could come to faith. Jesus called Matthew who was a publican to be a disciple (see Matthew 9:9), and the chief publican Zacchaeus, was radically changed when he came to see Christ (see Luke 19:8). God s grace is available to everyone!

7 IV. JESUS REVEALS TWO ATTITUDES OF PRAYER (Luke 18:11-13) A. A prayer of pride (Luke 18:11-12). 1. (vs. 11). This verse says The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. We are told that the Pharisee stood and prayed which was the normal Jewish posture for prayer (see Mark 11:25), for we see that both men were standing (see Luke 18:13). The phrase thus with himself means that the Pharisee prayed more to himself than to God. This can also mean that he prayed by himself, indicating that he was too self-righteous to associate with the others in the temple. No doubt the Pharisee standing alone was done to call attention to himself, just as it did for those who prayed publicly in the synagogues or on the corners of the streets (see Matthew 6:5). The Pharisee then prayed saying God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. Yes, he did thank God, but his gratitude consisted of comparing himself favorably with others. With an attitude of self-exaltation, he used other people as his standard for righteousness instead of God s standard for righteousness. The Pharisee was saying that he was not a sinner like other men, especially the publican who was also praying in the temple. The persons to whom the Pharisee compared himself were extortioners, unjust, adulterers,

8 or even as this publican. These were people who the Pharisee considered not to be in his religious class. In his mind, he was better than they were which made them inferior. The term extortioners refers to those who rob or swindle people by violence, threat, oppression or abuse of authority. The Pharisee also didn t consider himself to be unjust or unrighteous in his deeds. Neither was he an adulterer for he was faithful to his wife if he was married. And to really demonstrate his righteousness, the Pharisee declared that he was not even as this publican. In other words, he was saying to himself Thank God I am not as bad as that person over there. He was specifically identifying the publican as the worst of sinners. The Apostle Paul tells us that we should esteem others better than ourselves (see Philippians 2:3). Believers should lift others higher, not take a sanctimonious attitude and bring them down. As the old adage states: There but for the grace of God go I. We should be so concerned about our own sinfulness that we don t dare judge the sins of those around us. Note: In order to show his own sense of spiritual superiority to the others in the temple, the Pharisee stood by himself, that is, at some distance from the other worshipers. He was probably praying out loud, using his prayer as an opportunity to instruct those who he thought lacked the same religious devoutness he possessed. Therefore, his prayer became a vicious attack directed at those around him rather than an open direct dialogue with God. If the Pharisee had a different attitude, the words of his prayer could have been perfectly legitimate. A believer can be thankful that God has spared him or her from many of the sins others commit, but words of praise should focus on God s

9 grace, not on one s own goodness. The truly thankful saint realizes that without divine deliverance, he or she would be committing those same sins and be displeasing to God. 2. (vs. 12). In this verse the Pharisee continued to pray saying I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. After giving thanks for what he was not like, the Pharisee lost sight of God completely. In the rest of his prayer, he gave what amounted to a laundry list of his own self-righteous deeds and how faithful he was to certain religious practices (see Luke 11:42). Since we have no reason to believe otherwise, we must assume that what he said about himself was true. First, he said, I fast twice in the week. This reveals that he was one of the more strict Pharisees, because the Mosaic Law required only one fast during the year on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:29). However, some Jews took it upon themselves to add other fast days to commemorate sad memorials like the Babylonian Captivity (see Zechariah 7:5), and to attempt to gain God s favor. Second, the Pharisee said I give tithes of all that I possess. Again, even though he was really talking to himself and not God, he probably was speaking loud enough for other worshipers to hear him, hoping to shame them by mentioning his own religious works. The law required that tithes of harvest and income be given to God (see Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 14:22), and the Pharisee did this faithfully. Like other Pharisees, he was careful to tithe even the smallest herbs (see Luke 11:42). Note: This was all well and good, and even commendable. Giving God thanks in itself was a good thing, yet in the case of

10 the Pharisee, it seems to be simply a formality. He does not say, By the grace of God I am what I am (see I Corinthians 15:10), as Paul did, but instead he boasted with delight as if he only came to the temple to tell Almighty God how very good he was. There s not one word of prayer in anything he said! Yes, he went up to the temple to pray, but it appears that he soon forgot to really pray. The Pharisee gave no time to praise God for he was so full of himself and his own goodness. He didn t confess any sin, probably because he didn t think he had any. He didn t ask God for anything because he was self-satisfied. He prayed for no one else because no one else mattered in his small world. Therefore, his prayer was worthless. B. A prayer of humility (Luke 18:13). Jesus continued the parable in this verse saying And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Like the Pharisee, the publican was also praying in the temple. Jesus said that he was standing afar off. The Pharisee also stood, but no doubt, as high as he could, at the upper end of the temple court. But the publican, in deep humility stood at a distance having a sense of his unworthiness to draw near to God, and perhaps for fear of offending the Pharisee, who was probably looking scornfully at him and despising him. Not only did the publican stand far away from others in the temple, he would not lift up so much as his eyes unto

11 heaven. This is further evidence of his sincere humility. He refused to even raise his eyes toward heaven, especially toward this Pharisee. This was genuine humbleness, not a sham! As the publican stood at a distance from the others, he smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. The word smote here has the idea of repeatedly beating one s chest. In the Middle East, this is a gesture of extreme anguish or intense anger. This was a physical expression of the tax collector s deep and sincere humility as he recognized his own sinfulness. No doubt he realized that his own heart was the source of his evil thoughts and deeds (see Matthew 15:19). As the tax collector was beating himself across the chest, his prayer consisted of just one plea: God be merciful to me a sinner. In the Greek, a sinner literally reads the sinner. The tax collector didn t compare himself to others. He didn t care whether they were sinners or not, but he knew that he was, and that was all that mattered to him. All are sinners (see Romans 3:23), and to recognize oneself as such is the first step toward finding acceptance with God. The phrase be merciful can also be rendered as be propitiated or be appeased or satisfied. In his few simple words, the tax collector clearly revealed that he knew the truth about himself and the truth about God. He was a sinner in need of mercy, and as a result of his humble faith, he knew only God could grant that mercy. Note: The tax collector didn t ask God to overlook or excuse his sin. He knew that he deserved punishment. But he asked that God somehow would provide a sacrifice or some means to appease His wrath against his sin. From our vantage point, we know that Jesus Himself became the

12 propitiatory Sacrifice that satisfied the wrath of God against the publican and everyone who comes to Him in repentance (see I John 2:2). These two prayers stand in sharp contrast. Unlike the Pharisee, the tax collector didn t use his prayer as a means to chastise his neighbors. The Pharisee used prayer to display his selfrighteousness; the publican used it as an approach to God. The Pharisee came in self-sufficiency thinking he needed nothing from God; the publican came with a deep sense of need. The Pharisee stood alone because he thought he was better than others; the publican stood alone because he thought others were better than he was. The Pharisee reminded God that he was more righteous than others; the publican reminded God that he was more sinful than others. The Pharisee s socalled prayer contained no petition, but the publican s earnest prayer was nothing but petition. We need to recognize our sin and our need of the Saviour when we come to Christ. This is why people ask God to be merciful to them. V. JESUS REVEALS THE RESULTS OF THE PUBLICAN S PRAYER (Luke 18:14)). In our final verse Jesus said I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Jesus made a very important contrast regarding

13 the results of the two prayers. He said I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. To be justified means to be declared righteous by God. Only the repentant tax collector was justified in God s eyes. Note: Being justified before God means being declared righteous and therefore innocent of all charges against us (see Romans 8:1). This act of justification comes only by faith and not by our good deeds (see Romans 3:20, 24-25, 28; 4:1-8; 5:1). The person who doesn t recognize that there are charges against him or her cannot be justified. A man of humble faith recognizes that no matter how righteous he tries to be, his efforts cannot justify him before a holy God (see Romans 3:9-12). Only by repenting of our sins and trusting in the righteous work of Jesus Christ can any man go down to his house justified. Those listening to Jesus were probably not surprised at the words of the publican, because he was a sinner who needed God s mercy. But we can only imagine the looks on their faces when Jesus declared that the publican was the one who went down to his house justified rather than the other. It s interesting that here Jesus only refers to the Pharisee as the other but He identifies the tax collector. If Jesus listeners were shocked at hearing that only the publican was justified as a result of God responding to his sincere and humble prayer, they were certainly taken aback when Jesus said for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. In other words, People who make themselves important will be made humble. But those who make themselves humble will be made important. Note: God

14 has always dealt with His creatures by this principle (see Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6). A good example of this principle can be seen in God s dealing with Lucifer (see Isaiah 14:12-17). God still operates by this same principle today (see James 4:10; I Peter 5:5-6). However, sinful men who ignore it will come to spiritual ruin. Unfortunately, either in outright defiance of God or in ignorance of His ways, men continue to assure themselves that they are at least as good as others and probably better than most. So, they continue to ask, how could God not accept them on their merits and admit them to heaven? The answer is simple; we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not due to our works (see Ephesians 2:8-10). A person with true humility does not brag about what he or she does for God, but recognizes what God has done for them. The publican was exalted because he humbled himself and called on God s mercy. God, in His mercy accepted the tax collector and exalted him. A part of his exaltation is that we still look to him as a model of the proper way to approach God. Remember, God has the last word. He reserves justification and eternal life for those who acknowledge their sin and claim His grace. VI. Conclusion. As this week s lesson reveals, in the final analysis, the Pharisee was seen by Jesus as being self-

15 righteous and proud; and God hates pride (see Proverbs 6:16-17). Jesus reason for condemning the attitude of the Pharisee was that those who lift up themselves will be brought down. The publican was seen by Jesus as humble, so he would be exalted by God. Which person are you selfrighteous Pharisee or humble publican? Let s commit to practicing humility and making it evidence of an authentic and humble faith ***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***