Finding Faith

Good morning church. It is a privilege that I have been looking forward to the preach at this church. I want to thank you, and my son Brother Dennis for extending the invitation to me. This morning I would like to direct our attention to the gospel of Luke.

Luke 18:9–14 (NIV)

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

What do you have going on here? Yes, it is about two men who goes to the temple to pray. But is there more to it. I suggest there is.

As Sherlock Holmes would say, “The games is afoot.”

I believe the real meaning of the parable is found in the men, not just the prayer. Jesus could have told this parable about a fisherman and farmer. Or may a baker and a carpenter, but, no, it was about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Why those two.

The first man was a Pharisee. Now Pharisees were the holy of the holy. There were seven types

The Shoulder (or Shechemite) Pharisee: This type of pharisee was one who wore his good deeds on his shoulder – on display for all men to see. Jesus opens his primary criticism of Pharisees in Matthew, with the mention of the shoulder – possibly a reference to this commonly-labelled type of Pharisee.

For as long as we can determine, Jews have taken this verse literally, as an instruction to wear tefillin. Known in English as “phylacteries” (it is doubtful anyone who does not know what tefillin are knows what phylacteries are), these are small black boxes worn on the head and the arm (affixed using leather straps) containing parchment scrolls with verses from the Torah. As a rule, Jews wear tefillin during morning prayers. - Dennis Prager

There was a group of Pharisees known as the buried and bleeding Pharisees.

The Blind (or Bruised and Bleeding) Pharisee: This type of Pharisee was typified by the idea of him walking with his head down or turned away to avoid looking at, or bumping into women (who might be on their menstrual cycle) or other unclean folks. So, because they weren’t looking where they were going, they would end up bruised or bleeding from their avoidance of small things (cleanliness laws) – all the while forgetting the more important laws. Jesus refers to some Pharisees as ‘blind guides’, possibly referring to this type of Pharisee

The Wait-a-little Pharisee: This type of pharisee would want to wait to see how a situation played out before acting in any matter. While he agreed with Pharisee theology, he would always fall short in practice of his “belief” because he wasn’t sure if he should/could/wanted to act. This type of Pharisee liked the prestige brought about by being a religious leader, but didn’t like what it actually required. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them “Rabbi.” (Matthew 23:5-7)

The Pestle (or Hump-backed) Pharisee: Similar to the Blind Pharisee, the Pestle Pharisee was known for walking around with his eyes averted for the purpose of avoiding visual temptations. Avoiding temptation is one thing, but this type of Pharisee’s heart was wrong, because it was the importance of making a show of his avoidance of temptation (and piety) which was to be criticized.

The Ever-Reckoning Pharisee: Here was a religious person who was always keeping score – trying to make sure that his good deeds always outnumbered his bad ones. He wanted this so that God would be in his debt with the attitude of God owing him something for being good. Their belief was truly one of works-based righteousness.

The God-fearing (or Timid) Pharisee: He was considered to be a “God-fearer” in the manner of Job. While he had great reverence and respect for God, it was out of fear of punishment, he made sure to follow all of God’s commands in order avoid curses from God and, ultimately, hellfire. Unlike the previous types of Pharisees, both his belief and practice were correct, but his motivation was out of fear of God. It is possible that Jesus’ expressed woe in Matthew 23:13 is directed at this spirit of fear that then prevents others from enjoying the eternal life provided by God.

The God-loving Pharisee: This type of Pharisee was considered to be the ideal – a person who obeyed God out of true love and affection for Him, as in the manner of Abraham. A minority of Pharisees were believed to have been of this type, though Pharisees from the School of Hillel (who died in 10 A.D.) may have comprised a majority of this type of Pharisee. Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and Paul (and most likely Gamaliel, as well, from both Biblical and extra-Biblical accounts) were all Pharisees who would have fit into this category.

On the whole, even for all theit self-righteousness, Pharisees were well respected in the Jewish Community. Many young men wanted to grow up and become a Pharisee.

However, at the only end of spectrum was the hated Tax collector. No one likes the IRS. Most people don’t go out of their way to strick up a relationship with the members of the dreaded group.

But, in Israel it was far worse. The Romans had conquered Israel. So they were in charge. The Jews prayed daily for the messiah to come and lift the heavy Roman boot off their necks, as one Rabbi put it.

Part of the heavy boot was the Roman tax. The Romans would assess the tax by the region. So they would say we want to get 2000 drcamas from the region. They they would assign local jews to collect the tax because the locals knew the people.

Now the tax collector was required to collect the 2000 drcamas, but did not care how much more the tax collector took from the people, as long as they got there 2000 drcamas. It was not uncommon for the tax collector to charge four, five or six times the amount needed and pocket the profit. No one could refuse to pay, the Roman army was the enforcers. If you failed to pay, you die. That is a great motivator. You want to live, then pay the Exorbitan taxes.

No one wanted they child to grow up and be a tax collector. They were seen as Roman lackeys.

So now let’s return to the passage now that we understand who the characters are.

Luke 18:10 NIV

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

Luke 18:11 NIV

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

Luke 18:12 NIV

I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

Listen, can you hear it? The words of that old country classic flouting out of the temple.

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 lookin’ each day

To know me is to love me

I must be a heck of a man

Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble

But I’m doin’ the best that I can.

Luke 18:13 NIV

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

Now in the Greek text he did not say, me a sinner, but “Have mercy on me, THE sinner.”

He was saying, “I know I am the greatest of sinners.”

Luke 18:14 NIV

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Wait, what, the enemy number one, the hated tax collector, the stuge for Rome, he is the hero in the story. Not the righteous Pharisee. What is Jesus saying.

Do Not Left Yourself above others.

No one who is proud can pray.

St. Augustine, an early church father, said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels”

Andrew Murray reminds us: “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.

The gate of heaven is so low that none can enter it save up on their knees.

There is no spirit in man more opposed to the Spirit of God than the spirit of pride.

John Blanchard

No one who despises others can pray. In prayer we do not lift ourselves above others. We remember that we are one of a great army of sinning, suffering, sorrowing humanity all kneeling before the throne of God's mercy.

Billy Graham wrote: “When pride controls our lives, we end up thinking we are better than anyone else. Prideful people also have little love or compassion for others, and are only interested in themselves. Most of all, a prideful person thinks they have little need for God, believing their way is always best. This is why pride is at the root of almost every other sin, because we think we can ignore God’s ways. No wonder the Bible says,

Proverbs 16:5 NIV

The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

So how does a TAX collector become one one praised in this passage, because he was open and honest, he prayed to God. While Pharisee prayed to himself, about himself. God was not the audience, other people were.

God does not need for you or I to tell him about what we have done or are doing in his name. He does not need us to compare ourselves to others.

He waiting for us to be open and honest. To take off the mask. To just be real, like the Tax collector. See ourselves the way God sees us. To pray, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Then and only then will we go away justified.

AMEN.