#148 Lu. 18:9-14  THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN

Introduction:

    In our text last week the Lord used a parable to teach the
saved to pray.  He taught them to persistently pray for help.  In
our text today He uses another parable to teach lost men to pray.
He taught them to pray to God for forgiveness of sin.  In the
parable two different lost men went to the temple to pray.  First,
we hear the prayer of a Pharisee.  Second, we hear a prayer of an
publican.

I.  A look at the people to whom the Lord addressed the parable

    First, let us take a look at the people to whom the Lord
addressed the parable.  V.  9, "And he spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and
despised others."  We are not told whether or not this parable was
spoken on the same occasion as the previous one.  We do know that
they both dealt with the same general subject.  They both dealt
with prayer.
    We are told that the men to whom the Lord directed the parable
were men who trusted in their own righteousness to gain entrance
into heaven.  Since both men were Jews, we can be sure that they
were familiar with the Law of Moses.  Apparently they based all
their hope of heaven on their own ability to keep the Law of
Moses and to do good works.  They most certainly did not base
their hope on repentance of sin and faith in the Christ of God.
    To say the least, they had self-confidence.  The problem was
that they had too much self-confidence.  God's plan of salvation
does not call upon men to trust in themselves.  It calls upon men
to repent of their sin and to trust in Christ for salvation.
These men had the same kind of self-confidence that the Pharisee
in the parable had.  He, too, was trusting in his own goodness to
get to heaven.  This is more than just self-confidence; it is
self-righteousness.  It is sinful, wicked self-righteousness.
    Jesus gave them this parable that it might help them to see
the error of their ways as displayed by the Pharisee in the
parable.  By seeing the error of his ways, they might see the
error of their own ways and repent of their sin.  It was also
given that we might see the error of our own ways and be saved.

II.  A look at the Pharisee in the parable

    Let us now look at the Pharisee in the parable.  V. 10, "Two
men went up into the temple..."  These two men had made just such
a journey to Jerusalem as Jesus and His disciples were now making.
Once they arrived at Jerusalem they went to the Jewish temple
which was located there.  Our text says that they went up into the
temple.  If you are familiar with the Jewish system of worship,
you will understand that to mean that they did not go into the
temple building itself.  Only the priests were allowed to enter
the temple proper.  The two men went into the temple courtyard.
To be more specific, since both of these were Jews, they both went
into the courtyard of Israel where all Jews went.  A separate
courtyard was provided for Gentiles.
    (V. 10), "...to pray..."  They went into the temple courtyard
to pray.  Prayer was one of the more important parts of the Jewish
religious service.  It is equally important in our Christian
worship services.
    (V. 10), "...the one a Pharisee..."  The Pharisees were the
largest religious denominations among the Jews.  They believed
that in order for one to get to heaven, he must keep the Law of
Moses.  Therefore it was characteristic of all Pharisees to be
self-righteous.  Most all of them believed that they actually kept
the Law of Moses.  This is the same problem had by the men to whom
Jesus addressed this parable.
    (V. 10), "...and the other a publican."  The publicans were
not a religious denomination.  Rather they were Jews who worked
for the Roman government collecting taxes from the Jews.  They
were despised by most other Jews.  They were considered to be
traitors to the Jewish people because they worked for the Roman
government taking money from the Jews and giving it to the Roman
government.  At least they gave part of it to the Romans.  The
Romans allowed them to collect a sizable portion for themselves.
    You can see the evidence of the Pharisee's self-righteousness
even in his prayers.  This Pharisee was such a great sinner that
even in his prayers he sinned.  He looked upon himself as being
one of the very best men alive upon the face of the earth and his
spirit of self-righteousness was sin.
    Just listen to the way he bragged on himself.  V. 11, "The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee,
that I am not as other men are..."  He thought himself to be
better than other men and had the audacity to say so to God in his
prayer to God.
    Then he named a whole lot of men to whom he felt superior.  He
could easily see himself in a good light because he picked out the
worst kind of men to compare himself with.  (V. 11),
"...extortioners..." He compared himself with extortioners.  I
think that you are familiar with this word in the English
language.  The Greek word from which this is translated means
basically the same, but takes on a little different shade of
meaning.  It means one who violently takes away that which belongs
to others.  In his mind, he was better than the extortioners who
violently take away the property of others.
    Now apparently he was telling the truth as far as the literal
crime of extortion is concerned.  He had never taken away the
property or money that belonged to others by means of violence.
But he apparently was guilty of coveting the things which belong
to others and that, too, is a sin.  He overlooked that sin on his
own part.
    He bragged on himself again thanking God that he was not like
those who are unjust.  (V.  11), "...unjust..." He compared
himself with people whom he knew to be unjust.  He thought of
himself as being fair and just in all his dealing with others.
Perhaps he was not as bad as they.  But that did not mean that he
had always been fair in his dealings with others.  It is almost
certain that somewhere along the way, he had been very unfair in
his dealings with somebody.
    He continued to brag.  He compared himself with adulterers.
(V. 11), "...adulterers..."  He bragged that he had never
committed adultery.  So many of his had day had committed adultery
and he knew it.  He was not like them.  But apparently he was
unaware that if a man looks upon a woman to lust after her that he
has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
    He bragged once more.  He compared himself with the publican
who was there with him in the temple courtyard.  So far as he was
concerned, there was none worse than this publican.  (V. 11),
"...or even as this publican."  He would never commit such a
heinous sin as to take money from the Jews and give it to the
Romans.  Now that was a heinous sin. Wasn't it?  Wasn't it!  Of
course not, but he thought it was.
    Let me tell you that anybody in the world can see himself in a
pretty good light by comparing himself with others whom he already
thought were worse than himself.  Even I can make myself look
pretty good that way.  If you will let me pick out the people that
I compare myself with I will look pretty good every time.  That is
just what the Pharisee did.  He picked out people whom he knew
would make him look good and compared himself to those people.
But if he had ever compared himself to the perfect standard of
righteousness, he would have seen that he falls far short.
    After the Pharisee got through bragging that he was so much
better than other people, he then started bragging on himself
about the good deeds he had done.  V.  12, "I fast twice in the
week.." The Law of Moses required the Jewish people to fast only
one time each year.  Can't you hear him, "Just look at how good I
do, Lord.  The Law only requires once per year, but I fast every
Monday and every Thursday.  I am a lot better than what the law
requires."
    (V. 12), "..."I give tithes of all that I possess."  "Just
look at me, Lord.  I'll bet you don't find many like me.  I give a
tenth of everything I get.  If everybody else would give like I
do, Lord, your cause would be in a lot better shape."
    Listen to him brag!  There was not one iota of remorse for the
sins that he had committed.  He was totally blind to the fact that
he is a sinner.  There was no repentance.  So far as he was
concerned, he had never done anything to repent of.
    There was no repentance and no faith.  There was no faith
expressed in a Savior for imputed righteousness.  So far as he
was concerned, he had all the righteousness he needed.  He did not
need to repent of his sin and trust in the Savior to keep him out
of hell.  He was perfectly good enough to make it to heaven just
like he was.  If anybody else would make it to heaven, he was sure
that he would make it.  At least, that is what he thought.

III.  A look at the publican in the parable

    V. 13, "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."  This publican was in the
temple courtyard praying right along with the Pharisee.  His
presence there must have been very bothersome to the Pharisee.
You will note that it is said that he was standing afar off.  Not
that he was afar off from the Pharisee, but he was afar off from
the temple.  The Pharisee, in his attitude of self-righteousness,
would stand just as close to the temple building as he could
stand.  He felt most worthy of being up there close.  But the
publican was standing just as far away from the temple as he could
and still be in the courtyard.  He felt unworthy of being there at
all.
    The Pharisee, if he followed the custom of that day, would be
standing lifting his hands and his face toward heaven as he
prayed.  But the publican would not lift his hands.  He would not
lift his head.  He would not so much as lift his eyes toward
heaven.  He felt ashamed.  He felt ashamed before God.
    The Pharisee, in his attitude of self-righteousness, had
bragged upon himself and lifted himself just as high as he could.
But the publican beat upon himself upon the chest.  He beat
himself down because he felt unworthy of approaching God in
prayer.  He felt unworthy of asking God for blessings.
    Notice what he prayed for.  He did not ask God for material
blessings.  He did not ask God for riches.  What he asked God to
do was to be merciful to him in spite of hs great sins.  He asked
to be pardoned for his sin.  He asked to be forgiven of his sin.
He asked for the mercy of God to cleanse him from his sin.

IV.  A look at the two men as they left the temple

    V. 14, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other..."  The word justified means "declared
just."  It is a legal term and means that one has been legally
declared just by the judge.  He is not just because of any merit
of his own.  He is not just as far as his conduct is concerned.
Yet he is declared just by the court and will be treated by the
court as though he had never done wrong.
    Jesus uses this term to explain the standing of this publican
with God.  As a result of his feeling of unworthiness before God
and as a result of his plea for the mercy of God, this man left
the house of God justified in the sight of God.  He was, as far as
his conduct was concerned, a sinful man.  He had committed many,
many sins.  But because he had shown a repentant attitude in the
sight of God and had asked for the mercy of god, God forgave him
of his sin.  God cleansed him from his sin and declared him to be
justified.  God would therefore treat him as though he had never
committed any sin.  He would stand before the court of God as
being one-hundred percent just.  He would stand as being one-
hundred percent without sin.
    On the other hand, the Pharisee, who had lifted himself up in
his own self-righteousness, left the house of God still steeped in
his sins.  He was still guilty before God.  His sins were
unforgiven.  He must suffer the full penalty of his sins.  He
stood condemned before God's court of justice.  But the publican,
although he was every bit as bad as the Pharisee, was forgiven of
every sin.  He was free from the penalty of all his sin.
    They both came to the house of God guilty of sin.  They both
could have gone away from the house of God still guilty.  They
could both have gone away from God's house free from sin.  But no!
One of them went away still lost and condemned to hell and one
went away saved and on his way to heaven.  What a difference!  One
was saved and the other lost!

V.  A look at all mankind

    Jesus explained the difference.   Jesus explained why one went
away saved and one was still lost.  (V. 14), "...for every one
that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted."  The Pharisee had exalted himself
before God.  He boasted about how good he was.  He heaped praises
upon himself.  He bragged about all the good things that he had
done.  He felt that he well-deserved to go to heaven.  He felt no
need to repent nor ask for the mercy of God.
    Jesus said that everyone that exalts himself as this Pharisee
had done would be abased.  The word, abased, means to be brought
low.  This Pharisee would be abased because he exalted himself and
would not humble himself before God.  He would be brought low.
Because he had not humbled himself and had not repented before
God, he would be brought down to the very pits of hell.  He would
suffer in the fires of hell.  He would suffer there without end.
So it is with every man who will not repent and trust in the
Christ for salvation.
    On the other hand, Jesus said that if one humbles himself
before God he will be exalted.  The idea is that if he humbles
himself in repentance before God he will be exalted.  He will be
exalted to be included in the number who are children of God.  He
will be exalted to be included in the number who will spend
eternity with God.  So it was with the publican and so it is with
every man who humbles himself before God, repents of his sin and
trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ.

VI.  A look at yourself

    How do you feel about your sins?  What have you done about
your soul?  Have you humbled yourself before God as an unworthy
sinner asking for mercy and forgiveness?  Have you trusted in the
Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your sin?  If not, are you
ready now to come and place yourself at the mercy of God and to
ask Him to have mercy on you for Jesus sake?

Conclusion:

    Who will come today and seek God's mercy by trusting in Jesus
Christ as your Savior?  Romans 10:13 reads, "For whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
    If you are saved, are you ready to come and unite with this
church to serve the Lord?