Escape the Maze

Parable: “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning which places what is known beside the unknown for the purpose of comparing or contrasting vital truths”

I. The Maze of Self-Righteousness

a. Tend to treat others poorly (Luke 18:9; Psalm 101:5)

b. Brag about their achievements(Luke 18:10-12; Ephesians 2:8-9)

c. Believe they are good enough (Romans 3:10)

d. Remain trapped in sin (James 2:10)

II. The Path to Freedom (Luke 18:13-14)

Humility: “the quality of being without pride, having a proper view of self”

Mercy: “the act of withholding punishment or condemnation that is deserved”

a. Acknowledgeour sin.

b. Believe in Jesus.

c. Find freedom and forgiveness. (Luke 18:14)

Humility recognizes the need for God’s mercy.

HOOK

Teacher’s Note: Make sure that you have a volunteer ready to give each person a pencil and a copy of the Escape the Maze handout. For your information, the Escape the Maze handout is an unsolvable puzzle. The winner of the contest will be the first person who hollers out that the maze can’t be solved. Be careful with your wording in explaining the maze. Don’t refer to making a complete path through the maze; just say something like, “The winner will be the person who figures it out first.”

The point of using an unsolvable maze is to help the students experience the feeling of frustration of wandering through a maze. This idea will be paralleled in the lesson with the futility of self-righteousness. If you have chosen to give a prize to the winner, you could purchase a maze puzzle book from a dollar store as the prize.

How many of you have ever tried to escape a maze before, either on paper or in real life? Maybe you wandered around a corn maze or passed the time with a pencil trying to escape a paper maze. What is the most difficult maze you have ever attempted? [Allow for a few responses.]

A maze has only one real objective: to get from the entrance to the exit. As you attempt any maze, occasionally you’ll hit dead ends and frustrating turnarounds. Sometimes you get pretty far, only to realize you have to backtrack a whole bunch because you were on the wrong path. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the first maze illustration.]

Here’s an example of a simple maze puzzle. Go ahead and try to work this maze with your eyes. If you get it solved, yell out, “Got it!” [Allow a few seconds to see if any of the students can figure it out, then show the PowerPoint slide with the correct path shown.]

Wow! That was fast! Let’s see if any of you can be that fast with a paper and pencil maze.

Teacher’s Note: Instruct the volunteer to give everyone a pencil and a copy of the maze. The maze should be handed to each person with the maze facing down so they can’t see the maze and begin working it with their eyes.

Right now, you are receiving a pencil and a maze. Your job is to solve the maze as quickly as possible. The winner will be the person who figures it out first.

Teacher’s Note: Wait for everyone to get a copy of the maze and then say, “Go!” It shouldn’t take too long for someone to figure out that the maze can’t be solved. If someone claims to have solved it, show them where they made a mistake. When someone says that it can’t be solved, stop the contest and award them a prize.

Today’s lesson is the third lesson of the four-part series called [Show the PowerPoint slide with the module title.] Puzzled: Parables That Make You Think.

Just to make sure we are all on the same page, [Show the PowerPoint slide with the definition of the word “parable.”] a “parable” is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning which places what is known beside the unknown for the purpose of comparing or contrasting vital truths.”

In the parable we will look at today, Jesus talked about two different men who made a point of worshiping God. One of the men was known for his righteous deeds; the other was known for his traitorous greed. But both of them demonstrated that they wanted to connect with God.

In their attempt to have a relationship with God, they each took radically different paths. The paths that each of them took in Jesus’ parable can leave some people puzzled. So, today we are going to liken those paths to an attempt to escape a maze.

As you can probably tell by the title of our series, each of the lessons is connected to some sort of brain teaser or puzzle. And, as you probably understand from our opening contest, the title of this lesson is [Show the PowerPoint slide with the lesson title.] Escape the Maze.

When you were working through your maze earlier, there was probably a point when you got a little frustrated as you realized that you weren’t getting anywhere.

● How many of you decided to begin from the end of the maze to see if that would help you complete it faster? [Allow for a show of hands.]

● Did anyone figure out that it couldn’t be completed before [Insert the name of the student who won.] yelled out that it couldn’t be done, but just didn’t yell it out? [Allow for responses.]

Although you didn’t know it at the time, what was necessary for anyone to win this contest was to admit that you couldn’t do it. Unless you acknowledged that it couldn’t be done, you were destined to draw lines through every part of the maze only to remain trapped in the maze. But, the moment you acknowledged that it couldn’t be done, you were free from having to try to solve the unsolvable maze.

LESSON CONTENT

Similar to a maze, Jesus’ parable that we will read today has a few twists and turns of its own. Turn in your Bibles to Luke 18:9-14 and listen closely as we read the parable of the two worshipers. [Read Luke 18:9-14

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.”

How in the world does that parable parallel with a maze? Well, in His story, Jesus highlighted two people who traveled two different paths. Who were they? [Allow for responses. Answer: A Pharisee and a tax collector.]

● The Pharisee believed that God was impressed and pleased with his good works.

● The tax collector recognized the need for the mercy of God in his life.

When we look at the two characters in this story, the first character was stuck in an unsolvable maze and didn’t even know it. He proclaimed his righteousness to God, but unfortunately, the only righteousness he had was self-righteousness. He was wandering around… [Show the PowerPoint slide with the first main point and read it to the students.]

I. The Maze of Self-Righteousness

People who are stuck in the maze of self-righteousness are controlled by pride; they trust in themselves and their good deeds to be good enough to please God. But, as long as they trust in themselves, they will never find freedom; they will never have a relationship with God. In this parable, it was the Pharisee, a religious leader, who was stuck in this maze.

As a Pharisee, he would have studied the entire Torah (Jewish law)—both written and oral—would have memorized large portions of it and would have had the ability to teach others in the Law of Moses. In the community, he would have been viewed as a moral example.

But did you notice how Jesus described self-righteous people even before He started telling His story? Jesus said that self-righteous people… [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint and read it to the students.]

a. Tend to treat others poorly (Luke 18:9; Psalm 101:5)

Listen again to Luke 18:9. [Re-read Luke 18:9

Luke 18:9 ESV

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

Did you notice the last few words of that verse? Jesus’ parable was directed toward people who despise others. There may be many reasons why those who are self-righteous do this, but we will highlight two of them.

The first reason is that someone who trusts in themself is not yielded to the Holy Spirit. Love is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5). If somebody refuses to yield to the Holy Spirit, they will not show love to God or to others. Instead of treating others the way God wants them to, they end up mistreating those they see as inferior, or less righteous, than them.

The second reason why self-righteous people treat others poorly is simply because their heart feels like they have to. If you are trusting in yourself, then you need evidence to assure yourself that you are doing well. Many times, that evidence is found by comparing yourself to others. Self-righteous people tend to look down on others so they can make themselves look better or feel better. But how does God feel about that? Let’s find out.

Would someone be willing to look up Psalm 101:5 and read it for us, please? [Choose a volunteer and allow time for Psalm 101:5

Psalm 101:5 ESV

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.

to be read.] God actively works against the self-righteous, proud heart.

Now, not only do self-righteous people tend to treat others poorly, but they also tend to… [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint and read it to the students.]

b. Brag about their achievements (Luke 18:10-12; Ephesians 2:8-9)

In Jesus’ parable, the Pharisee was not short on listing all his righteous deeds. In fact, he participated in four kinds of good works that people today brag about and use as a benchmark for righteousness.

● First, Jesus told us that this man went to the temple (Luke 18:10). This is a lot like the people today who think that by going to church they have fulfilled a religious obligation that makes them a good person.

● Second, his reason for going to the temple was to pray (Luke 18:10). A lot of people will claim to be spiritual and offer prayers as an act to make them more “spiritually acceptable.”

● Third, the Pharisee claimed that he fasted (Luke 18:12). Fasting is when somebody chooses to voluntarily give up certain food for a certain period of time. Many people view fasting as a good work that makes them more spiritual, or they think it will help them earn a place in Heaven.

● Fourth, the Pharisee talked about his giving (Luke 18:12). Many people today will claim to be morally good because they give to charities, hospitals, and other good causes.

He certainly was proud of his righteous acts. He even made sure that he told God about his multiple fastings and numerous tithes. The problem with leaning on all or even any of these “good works” is that we cannot be made right with God through our own effort.

Righteous acts are great, but what does God’s Word tell us about good works? Let’s find out. Would someone be willing to look up Ephesians 2:8-9 and read it for us, please? [Choose a volunteer and allow time for Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

No number of good deeds can earn anyone a place in Heaven. Salvation is “not of works, lest anyone should boast.” If you go to church, pray, fast, and give tithes just to look good, you are doing those things for the wrong reason. When you toot your own horn, you end up becoming self-absorbed and prideful; your good works aren’t good enough to get you to Heaven.

But, self-righteous people, like the Pharisee in Jesus’ story… [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint and read it to the students.]

c. Believe they are good enough(Romans 3:10)

If God was looking for a long list of actions to make Him happy, then the Pharisee in Jesus’ story would really have something to offer, but that is not how it works. Unfortunately, his actions are typical of many self-righteous people.

The danger for those who live a good life and stay away from the “worst sins” is that they begin to think that their “good works” earn them brownie points with God. But good works don’t earn Heaven for anyone. No matter how good someone is, we are all still sinners; no one is good enough to get to Heaven on their own merit.

If we are not careful, we, like the Pharisee in Jesus’ story, can think we are good enough to get to God because we aren’t as bad assomeone else. But, when we stand before God, He is not going to ask for our “good deeds resume” to see if we are good enough to get into Heaven. And we certainly are not going to be compared to anyone else. None of us can earn our way to Heaven.

Would someone be willing to look up Romans 3:10 and read it for us, please? [Choose a volunteer and allow time for Romans 3:10

Romans 3:10 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

None of us can brag honestly about our spiritual condition, because simply stated, nobody is “good enough.” Anyone who is trusting in themselves to earn a relationship with God remains trapped in sin. Self-righteous people… [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint and read it to the students.]

d. Remain trappedin sin (James 2:10)

Anyone who thinks they are good enough to earn Heaven is lying to themselves. Anyone who commits even one sin is, in fact, a sinner. Would someone be willing to look up James 2:10 and read it for us, please? [Choose a volunteer and allow time for James 2:10

James 2:10 ESV

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

If you are a sinner, then you owe a debt to God that you can never repay even if you were to never sin again the rest of your life. If you are trusting in your good works, then you remain trapped in sin, trapped in the maze of self-righteousness.

This was the case with the Pharisee in Jesus’ story. At the end of the story, he was not justified, but rather humbled. His whole trip to the temple was nothing more than a dizzying trip through a maze of self-righteous acts and he remained trapped in sin.

Teacher’s Note: For the next section, if possible, wander around the room like you are walking through a maze and coming to dead ends time after time. The goal is to give the visual of being stuck while highlighting all the good things that the Pharisee did.

You can almost picture it. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the maze that has no solution, and the good deeds listed.]

● [Begin walking and looking both ways.] He walks into church looking to his left and right to see who is watching. “Yes! Pastor can see that I am here today!”

● [Stop and look up and start talking to God in a loud voice.] “God, I am so glad that I am a good person. I don’t do those ‘big sins’ that offend you, God. I am better than everyone else here. I am so glad I am not stuck in sin. Come, look what I do for You, God.

● [Walk to another part of the room like you are walking through the turns of a maze and then point as if you are pointing to something in the maze.] “See, God; I fasted on Tuesday. And look over here, God.”

● [Walk to another part of the room like you are walking through the turns of a maze and then point again.] “I fasted againon Wednesday, and that was the day I was also at church during the mid-week service and prayer meeting. And I wasn’t hanging out in the hall while the prayer service was going on; I was in there actually praying! Oh, and look over here.”

● [Walk to another part of the room like you are walking through the turns of a maze and point again.] “When I was at that mid-week service, I tithed. Not just on my net income, God. I tithed on the money before the taxes came out!” [Pause and whisper.] “And You know that I also gave extra to the ‘benevolence fund,’ the ‘building fund,’ and I even gave my ‘Faith Promise missions offering’ too! Oh, come over here and look.”

● [Walk to another part of the room like you are walking through the turns of a maze and point again.] “See what I do for You! I come to church every week, never miss a service!”

● [Walk to another part of the room like you are walking through the turns of a maze and point.] “And I pray too; obviously I pray. I am praying right now! But You know that, ‘cause I am talking to You when I pray.”

Teacher’s Note: Feel free to add any self-righteous acts that you would like to add and continue the charade as long as needed. When you are finished, return to the front and continue teaching.

Because of his self-righteousness, he wandering through life thinking he was right with God. But, self-righteousness will never lead you to God; there is no escaping the maze of self-righteousness on your own. It just leaves you trapped in sin while doing a whole bunch of good deeds.

But our lesson isn’t about being trapped, it’s about escaping the maze! And the other character in Jesus’ parable, the tax collector, despite his despicable acts of the past, walked a different path, a path that freed him from the maze. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the second main point of the lesson.]

II. The Path to Freedom (Luke 18:13-14)

Even in today’s age, it is hard to find someone who likes anything about having taxes collected from them, but in Jesus’ time, a tax collector was especially hated. A tax collector was a Jewish man who collected money for Rome. Because of his job, he was considered to be a traitor to his people.

On top of that, tax collectors were known for cheating people out of their money by taking even more money than required by the Roman tax laws. By doing this, tax collectors enriched themselves at the expense of their own people. So this man, who came to the temple to pray, would have been seen as the ultimate sinner.

In fact, the people who were listening to Jesus’ story might have thought, “What is a tax collector doing at the temple?” For sake of comparison, imagine the most wicked person you know showing up here at our church and sitting down in the back ready for the service to start! You might be caught off guard.

But, despite his outward struggles and sinful lifestyle, he demonstrated a specific character quality that’s worth mentioning. So, let’s examine this tax collector from Jesus’ story and discover what gave him freedom from wandering through the maze of self-righteousness. Listen to Luke 18:13. [Re-read Luke 18:13

Luke 18:13 ESV

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!’

Instead of wandering in self-righteousness, the tax collector displayed humility. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the definition of the word “humility.”] “Humility” is “the quality of being without pride, having a proper view of self.”

The text tells us that this man stood away from the crowd. Not that there’s anything wrong with praying in front of people, but this man’s concern was with God, not the people watching him pray. He came to the temple, but not so everyone could see him “at church.” He prayed, not as an act of self-righteousness, but as a means of seeking forgiveness.

The text also tells us that he wouldn’t even look up to Heaven. The guilt and shame of his sin were heavy on him. He knew how bad he was; he knew he didn’t deserve the forgiveness he sought.

His prayer was short; he simply asked God for mercy. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the definition of the word “mercy.”] To be clear, “mercy” is “the act of withholding punishment or condemnation that is deserved.” Any punishment that God gave him, he knew he deserved, but in humility, he asked God to withhold the punishment that he should have received.

Humility and mercy go hand in hand. In fact, [Show the PowerPoint slide with the Sticky Statement.] humility recognizes the need for God’s mercy.

Here’s how the man asked for mercy. First, he acknowledged his sin against God, which is what we need to do as well. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint and read it to the students.]

a. Acknowledge our sin.

In humility, the man in Jesus’ story acknowledged his moral failure before a holy God. When he recognized his sinful state, he called himself a sinner. If we want to escape the maze of self-righteousness, we must humbly acknowledge our sin; specifically, acknowledge that we are sinners with no way of getting to God on our own.

“God, be merciful to me a sinner!” His prayer expresses that he believed God would forgive him, and belief is the only way to have a relationship with God. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint and read it to the students.]

b. Believe in Jesus.

We must humble ourselves before God, recognize that we need mercy, and acknowledge that we can’t be free of our sin on our own. But salvation comes when we believe in Jesus as Savior. When we believe, God steps in and does for us what we can’t do for ourselves. Humility recognizes the need for God’s mercy, and God’s mercy makes a way for us to have a relationship with God.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God, in His mercy, removes every barrier between us and Him, and, as a result, we find freedom; freedom from sin and freedom from the maze of self-righteousness. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint.]

c. Findfreedom and forgiveness. (Luke 18:14)

Listen again to how Jesus ended His parable. [Re-read Luke 18:14

Luke 18:14 ESV

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.”

Humility led to acknowledgement. Through beliefthe walls of self-righteousness were obliterated! Because of Jesus, we find a straight path to God. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the “maze” with no walls.]

While God resists the proud, as we’ve seen in Jesus’ story, He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Jesus said that the tax collector—the man who acknowledged his sin and had faith—went home justified. In humility, the tax collector had faith in God’s ability to forgive him. He recognized his sinful state and called out for God’s mercy. Yes, humility recognizes the need for God’s mercy!

CONNECTION

At the beginning of our lesson, when you were trying to work through the unsolvable maze and you figured out that it could not be done, there was a little bit of humility needed to admit that you couldn’t solve it. You had to acknowledge that it couldn’t be done.

This is similar to life. If you are trusting in yourself and your righteous acts or if you believe that the good things you’ve done will outweigh the bad things you’ve done, then let me lovingly tell you the truth: you are still trapped in sin.

Some people believe they can work their way out of this maze by doing a bunch of good works. They think that their own righteousness will save them, but the only way to escape that maze is through Jesus Christ. To recognize this will take humility on your part. It is humility that recognizes the need for God’s mercy.

In Jesus’ story, the tax collector, by faith, asked for mercy. There may be someone here today who needs to humble themselves and trust Jesus as Savior. If, as a result of hearing this message, you realize that you are trapped, wandering around the maze of self-righteousness, will you humbly ask God for mercy? Will you stop trying to get to God on your own?

Jesus has done everything necessary for you to have a relationship with God. He died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead the third day defeating death and sin. Do you believe that Jesus will save you? If so, will you call out to Him for salvation today?

Maybe you’ve made that choice in your life already, and you are trying to follow Jesus. Stay the course, but be careful not to think that your good works are earning you favor with God.

Whether you’ve never accepted God’s gift of salvation but realize that today is the day, or if you already follow Jesus but need His help to escape from sin in your life, the steps are similar; they both require humility that recognizes a need for mercy.

For those who need to trust Jesus as Savior, just like the tax collector, you need to first humbly acknowledge your sin before God. As you admit this, confess to Him that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Tell God that you believe that Jesus is your only way to Heaven. Ask Him to forgive you of your sin and save you.

If you already have a relationship with Jesus but have slipped back into sin, Jesus died on the cross for that sin, too. When He rose from the dead, He defeated that sin, too. First John 1:9 says if we confess our sin, God will cleanse us and forgive us of all unrighteousness, including self-righteousness.

One of the most important words in this verse is the word “if.” The Bible places the responsibility of your sin squarely on you. There is a way out of the maze of trusting in yourself, but only if you will take it. You need God’s mercy, [Show the PowerPoint slide with the Sticky Statement.] and humility recognizes the need for God’s mercy. Will you come humbly to God and take His escape route from sin?

CHOICE

Maybe you’ve never turned to Christ as your Savior. What’s keeping you from making this decision? Will you accept Him as your personal Savior today? Will you show humility by admitting that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and call out to Jesus for mercy today?

Maybe you already have a relationship with Christ, but you also know that you’re not living as you should. Will you come clean before God and ask for His mercy today? Remember, [Point to the PowerPoint slide with the Sticky Statement.] humility recognizes the need for God’s mercy.

Let’s take a moment to talk with God about the choice you need to make.

Teacher’s Note: Pause to pray. Ask God to give courage to those who feel convicted to make a decision. End by thanking God for His mercy and asking Him to help each one to humbly recognize their need for God’s mercy throughout the week.