HEARTS AWRY: THE PHARISEE & THE TAX COLLECTOR
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Hearts Awry
a) We group together three parables directed at hypocrisy and corruption among the Pharisees.
b) Pharisee was a member of one of the opinionated and self-glorifying sects among the religious leaders and lawyers in Jerusalem. Pharisees accepted miracles, resurrection, angels, spirits, etc whereas their rivals the Sadducees did not.
c) The Pharisees looked down upon "sinners" and promoted themselves as righteous, yet their religion was all about outward show. The three parables that we now study point to these hearts awry.
d) Here is one of the three parables that teach us about God looks on the heart. He respects a heart full of love for him. He respects qualities such as mercy, humility, and goodness — qualities that were lacking in the hearts of most of the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Of course the lack of such qualities reflects a lack of understanding of the grace and mercy of God.
2. The Pharisee And The Tax Collector
Luke 18:9-14
“9 Jesus also told a parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.
10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood praying to himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I get.'
13 But the tax collector, standing well back, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
a) Luke 18:9 gives the intent of this parable. It was aimed at "certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous". God has respect for the contrite and penitent heart, like the heart of David which is expressed in Psalm 51.
b) Luke 18:10 shows two men doing the right thing. One a Pharisee, the other a tax collector, went up to the temple to pray. That is a good thing.
c) Luke 18:11-12 relates the Pharisee's prayer. Oddly, Jesus says, "He prayed to himself thus...". He was supposed to be praying to God, but God was not listening, so the Pharisee was really praying to himself. And what a self-congratulatory and self-praising prayer it is. The Pharisee starts by giving God thanks that he, the Pharisee, is not like other people. He is righteous whilst they are sinners. The rest of the prayer is a brag session — a recital of the righteous deeds he does regularly. No mention of any sins, except the sins of other people. This man was exalting himself before God.
d) Luke 18:13 relates the Tax gatherer's prayer. Not a mention of any righteousness in himself, just a simple humble plea, "God be merciful to me a sinner!". This man was humbling himself before God.
e) Luke 18:14 gives the outcome of the prayer of each man. The Tax gatherer was the one justified. His were the sins were forgiven. The Pharisee received nothing from God because he did not humble himself contrite before God but exalted himself.
The End ...
1. Hearts Awry a) We group together three parables directed at hypocrisy and corruption among the Pharisees.
b) Pharisee was a member of one of the opinionated and self-glorifying sects among the religious leaders and lawyers in Jerusalem. Pharisees accepted miracles, resurrection, angels, spirits, etc whereas their rivals the Sadducees did not.
c) The Pharisees looked down upon "sinners" and promoted themselves as righteous, yet their religion was all about outward show. The three parables that we now study point to these hearts awry.
d) Here is one of the three parables that teach us about God looks on the heart. He respects a heart full of love for him. He respects qualities such as mercy, humility, and goodness — qualities that were lacking in the hearts of most of the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Of course the lack of such qualities reflects a lack of understanding of the grace and mercy of God.
2. The Pharisee And The Tax Collector
Luke 18:9-14
“9 Jesus also told a parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.
10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood praying to himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I get.'
13 But the tax collector, standing well back, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
a) Luke 18:9 gives the intent of this parable. It was aimed at "certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous". God has respect for the contrite and penitent heart, like the heart of David which is expressed in Psalm 51.
b) Luke 18:10 shows two men doing the right thing. One a Pharisee, the other a tax collector, went up to the temple to pray. That is a good thing.
c) Luke 18:11-12 relates the Pharisee's prayer. Oddly, Jesus says, "He prayed to himself thus...". He was supposed to be praying to God, but God was not listening, so the Pharisee was really praying to himself. And what a self-congratulatory and self-praising prayer it is. The Pharisee starts by giving God thanks that he, the Pharisee, is not like other people. He is righteous whilst they are sinners. The rest of the prayer is a brag session — a recital of the righteous deeds he does regularly. No mention of any sins, except the sins of other people. This man was exalting himself before God.
d) Luke 18:13 relates the Tax gatherer's prayer. Not a mention of any righteousness in himself, just a simple humble plea, "God be merciful to me a sinner!". This man was humbling himself before God.
e) Luke 18:14 gives the outcome of the prayer of each man. The Tax gatherer was the one justified. His were the sins were forgiven. The Pharisee received nothing from God because he did not humble himself contrite before God but exalted himself.
Comments
Post a Comment