Alesaggio
07-23-2004, 10:34 AM
Luke 18:9-14 is the setting for this study.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector had several things in common:
THEY BOTH WENT TO CHURCH
BUT … they went for different reasons.
PHARISEE – He came to church so others could see how religious he was … when he came, he would always give a public performance. Here was his audience … SO … he would put on a show. “Prayed thus with himself”. He addressed his prayer to himself… BUT … he was praying for others to hear. When you pray, you pray to someone greater than yourself … RIGHT? The Pharisee thought so much of HIMSELF, that he prayed to HIMSELF! God wasn’t listening anyhow! Matthew 6:5 - “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
The Pharisee came to church to show off how religious he was. The Publican came to church for a different reason – 18:13. “standing afar off” – there was a DISTANCE between him and God … AND … he knew it. He was deeply aware of the sin in his life. He didn’t want anybody’s attention … he wanted GOD’S attention. He didn’t focus on other people … he wanted to focus on GOD. The Publican came because he had a NEED that only God could meet. Jeremiah 29:13 – “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
THEY BOTH PRAYED
The Pharisee had an “I” problem. He was a “spiritual snob” … he had a “superiority complex”. He wasn’t praying … he was BOASTING. The Pharisee was consumed with PRIDE.
“Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble
When you’re perfect in every way;
I can’t wait to look in the mirror
‘Cause I get better looking every day.
To know me is to love me,
I must be one really great man;
Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble
But I’m doin’ the best I can!”
Compared to someone else, you & I might look pretty good. The PROBLEM is … we’re using the WRONG STANDARD … the WRONG MEASURING STICK. God doesn’t compare you to anyone else … but to JESUS! You can compare yourself to a bank robber, a child molester or a rapist … AND … you look pretty good. BUT … compare yourself to Jesus! Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;”
THEY BOTH HAD A NEED
BUT … the Pharisee couldn’t see his need. He was too busy seeing his goodness.The Pharisee didn’t see any sin in his own life … ONLY … in the lives of others. Jesus said – “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
The PUBLICAN saw himself as he really was … as GOD saw him … a SINNER in need of a SAVIOR … in need of “mercy”. The PHARISEE stuck out his chest. The PUBLICAN beat his chest. He was in agony over his sin.
The PUBLICAN prayed the REAL “Sinner’s Prayer”.
• The PHARISEE loved himself. The PUBLICAN hated the sin in his life.
• The PHARISEE prayed to please man. The PUBLICAN prayed because he didn’t please God.
THEY BOTH WENT HOME
The PHARISEE went home …UNCHANGED. He was as proud and arrogant as he came to church. He put on a good show … and he knew it … and he was pleased with himself. Isaiah 29:13 – “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”
The PHARISEE was a RELIGIOUS man. BUT … that’s the problem with having RELIGION. It makes you look clean on the outside … BUT … it doesn’t clean up the filth on the inside. Matthew 23:25-28 – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
The PUBLICAN went home “justified” … right with God.
• The PHARISEE came to church and bragged about what HE had done.
• The PUBLICAN left the church bragging about what GOD had done.
James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
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The Pharisee and the Tax Collector had several things in common:
THEY BOTH WENT TO CHURCH
BUT … they went for different reasons.
PHARISEE – He came to church so others could see how religious he was … when he came, he would always give a public performance. Here was his audience … SO … he would put on a show. “Prayed thus with himself”. He addressed his prayer to himself… BUT … he was praying for others to hear. When you pray, you pray to someone greater than yourself … RIGHT? The Pharisee thought so much of HIMSELF, that he prayed to HIMSELF! God wasn’t listening anyhow! Matthew 6:5 - “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
The Pharisee came to church to show off how religious he was. The Publican came to church for a different reason – 18:13. “standing afar off” – there was a DISTANCE between him and God … AND … he knew it. He was deeply aware of the sin in his life. He didn’t want anybody’s attention … he wanted GOD’S attention. He didn’t focus on other people … he wanted to focus on GOD. The Publican came because he had a NEED that only God could meet. Jeremiah 29:13 – “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
THEY BOTH PRAYED
The Pharisee had an “I” problem. He was a “spiritual snob” … he had a “superiority complex”. He wasn’t praying … he was BOASTING. The Pharisee was consumed with PRIDE.
“Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble
When you’re perfect in every way;
I can’t wait to look in the mirror
‘Cause I get better looking every day.
To know me is to love me,
I must be one really great man;
Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble
But I’m doin’ the best I can!”
Compared to someone else, you & I might look pretty good. The PROBLEM is … we’re using the WRONG STANDARD … the WRONG MEASURING STICK. God doesn’t compare you to anyone else … but to JESUS! You can compare yourself to a bank robber, a child molester or a rapist … AND … you look pretty good. BUT … compare yourself to Jesus! Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;”
THEY BOTH HAD A NEED
BUT … the Pharisee couldn’t see his need. He was too busy seeing his goodness.The Pharisee didn’t see any sin in his own life … ONLY … in the lives of others. Jesus said – “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
The PUBLICAN saw himself as he really was … as GOD saw him … a SINNER in need of a SAVIOR … in need of “mercy”. The PHARISEE stuck out his chest. The PUBLICAN beat his chest. He was in agony over his sin.
The PUBLICAN prayed the REAL “Sinner’s Prayer”.
• The PHARISEE loved himself. The PUBLICAN hated the sin in his life.
• The PHARISEE prayed to please man. The PUBLICAN prayed because he didn’t please God.
THEY BOTH WENT HOME
The PHARISEE went home …UNCHANGED. He was as proud and arrogant as he came to church. He put on a good show … and he knew it … and he was pleased with himself. Isaiah 29:13 – “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”
The PHARISEE was a RELIGIOUS man. BUT … that’s the problem with having RELIGION. It makes you look clean on the outside … BUT … it doesn’t clean up the filth on the inside. Matthew 23:25-28 – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
The PUBLICAN went home “justified” … right with God.
• The PHARISEE came to church and bragged about what HE had done.
• The PUBLICAN left the church bragging about what GOD had done.
James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
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