The Danger of Self-Righteousness

Series: What He Said: The Parables of Jesus #27 Subject: What determines whether a person is accepted by God? Complement: God accepts the humble who cry out for mercy, not the self-righteous who trust in themselves. Homiletical Idea: God lifts the humble, but He resists the proud.

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

9 He also told this 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 a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘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 that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, 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.”

Introduction

Jesus keeps it real.

In Luke 18:1–8, He teaches about persistent prayer through a desperate widow. But now in verses 9–14, Jesus shifts gears and targets a different kind of prayer—one that sounds good on the surface but stinks in the nostrils of God.

And Luke doesn’t leave us guessing who this parable is for. Verse 9 says, “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.”

Now, if Jesus were preaching this in 2025, He’d be talking to folks who post Scriptures online but don’t speak to people at church. He’d be talking to the crowd that knows how to “play church” but has never actually been changed by grace.

Transition: Jesus wasn’t impressed by performance then, and He isn’t fooled by it now. Because while we might look at the outside, God is always looking at the heart. That’s why His next words shift the spotlight from the crowd to the core issue: spiritual arrogance. And it leads us to the first point—

Don't Come to God with Arrogance — He Sees Your Heart (vv. 10–12)

Luke 18:10–12 ESV

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

Right away, Jesus sets up a dramatic contrast. Pharisees were considered the spiritual elite—moral, disciplined, and respected. Tax collectors, on the other hand, were viewed as corrupt traitors who sold out their own people to Rome. One man was seen as righteous; the other as repulsive.

But then Jesus flips the expectation.

The Pharisee stands alone and prays:

“God, I thank you that I am not like other men…”

That sounds like humility, but it’s hollow. He’s not praying—he’s bragging in God’s direction.

He lists his spiritual credentials:

“I fast twice a week.”

“I tithe all that I get.”

Yet his posture reveals pride, not piety.

Word Insight – The phrase “trusted in themselves” (Greek: πεποιθότας ἐφ’ ἐαυτοῖς) literally means “to place your full confidence in yourself.” This is not dependence—it’s delusion.

Application:

We still do this today.

We measure our worth by religious activity.

We compare our sins to others and feel superior.

We confuse outward discipline with inward transformation.

But God isn’t looking for a résumé—He’s looking for a repentant heart.

Have you ever prayed more about other people’s sins than your own?

Transition: That’s the danger of self-trust—it blinds us to our own brokenness. But thank God, Jesus doesn’t leave us stuck in the pride of the Pharisee—Now shift the lens. The next man doesn’t have a résumé—he has repentance.

Come to God with Humility — He Gives Grace to the Broken (v. 13)

Luke 18:13 ESV

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

This man is overwhelmed. He stands at a distance, head bowed, chest beating—a visible sign of inner grief. No boasting. No blame-shifting. Just one honest cry:

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Word Insight – “Be merciful” is hilaskomai, meaning “make atonement.” He isn’t asking for a pat on the back—he’s asking God to cover his guilt. He knows he can’t fix himself.

Here’s the beauty: Even though he was too ashamed to come close, God still heard him.

He stood at a distance… but grace reached the distance! He couldn’t lift his head… but God lifted his heart! He didn’t have the words… but God heard the weeping! He didn’t have a spotless record… but he had a surrendered soul! And when his hands couldn’t rise in praise, his cry still rose in power! Because you don’t have to be close for God to come near! You don’t have to be loud for God to listen! You don’t have to be clean for God to cover you! All you need is a genuine cry and a humble heart—and Heaven will answer!

Illustration: Imagine a drowning man yelling, “At least I’m not drowning like him!” He doesn’t need comparison—he needs rescue.

Application:

God doesn’t need a polished performance. He wants an honest confession. He’s not waiting for perfection—He’s responding to humility.

Transition: That man didn’t bring a résumé—he brought repentance. He didn’t approach God with titles—he came with truth. And while he stood far off from others, he stood right where God could reach him. Because when humility goes up, grace comes down. And that leads us to the final truth in Jesus’ parable:

Only God Justifies (v. 14)

Luke 18:14 ESV

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.”

This would’ve stunned Jesus’ listeners. The Pharisee—the one who appeared righteous—goes home rejected. But the tax collector—the one who came broken—goes home justified.

Word Insight – Justified (Greek: δικαιόω) is a legal term. It means to be declared righteous in God’s courtroom—not because of works, but by grace.

That’s the heart of the gospel. We don’t climb our way to God. He comes down to us in mercy.

Application:

You don’t need to clean yourself up to be accepted by God. You don’t have to pretend like you’ve got it all together. God isn’t looking for you to fix your mess before you come—He’s asking you to bring the mess to Him.

You may feel like your past disqualifies you—but God says mercy qualifies you.

You may be wrestling with addiction, depression, guilt, or shame—but grace says, “Come anyway.”

Maybe you haven’t prayed in weeks. Maybe you walked away from the church. Maybe you’ve been sitting in the pew but far from His presence.

The invitation still stands. Come with the unpaid bills. Come with the broken relationships. Come with the secrets you don’t tell anybody. Come with the stuff you’re ashamed of. Just come.

Because God does His best work in broken places. And what He wants is not a sanitized version of you—He wants the real you. The weary you. The uncertain you. The angry, confused, or struggling you. The you that’s tired of trying to earn love and is ready to receive grace.

“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Transition: This is the upside-down nature of the Kingdom. The proud are brought low. The humble are lifted high.

Conclusion:

Let’s be honest—we all have some Pharisee in us. We like being seen. We like being right. We like comparing. But Jesus is calling us to lay that down.

Will you come to God today like the tax collector?

No spiritual résumé.

No blame game.

No pride.

Just humility, honesty, and a cry for mercy

Close (Hooping Style)

Jesus ends the parable with a shocker— “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other…”

Not the polished Pharisee… Not the one with the Scripture memorized… Not the one who stood tall and prayed proud— But the broken man, the honest man, the humbled man—he went home justified!

Because only God can justify. You can’t work hard enough. You can’t serve long enough. You can’t pray loud enough. You can’t preach well enough. Only God can take a guilty man and declare him righteous. Only God can cover the sinner and still be holy. Only God can lift up the broken and bring down the proud.

The Pharisee walked in impressed with himself—but walked out unchanged. But the tax collector walked in ashamed of himself—and walked out forgiven.

Let me tell you what I love most, church: Jesus said he went down to his house justified. He came in heavy—but left with hope. He came in condemned—but left covered. He came in with guilt—but left with grace. He came in low—but God lifted him up!

And somebody here tonight knows what it’s like— To cry out in weakness and be met with mercy. To come empty and leave filled. To come dirty and leave cleansed. To come lost and leave justified!

Because Jesus is the better Temple, The better Sacrifice, The better Atonement— And through His blood, we can all go home justified!

So stop trying to exalt yourself. Lay your titles down. Lay your image down. Lay your pride down— And pick up that prayer: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Because when you come low—He will lift you up. And when you humble yourself—He will justify you. And when you leave like that tax collector… you leave changed.