Rev. David Holwick V
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
June 7, 1992
Luke 18:9-14
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I. Two ways to approach God.
A. Story of Gordon Weekly, addicted Baptist minister.
Gordon Weekly built up a church from 0 to 1,000 members.
The strain of pastoring led him to try diet pills to get zip.
Soon he was also popping pills to go to sleep.
The church (and his family) noticed changes and confronted him.
From the pulpit he admitted having problems.
The congregation accepted his confession, and soon after he
popped pills again.
He began a long string of stays in mental hospitals.
Each time, he thought he still had control of his life.
His church fired him, his wife left him, and he ended up in a
YMCA.
Then a gospel mission.
When a doctor said he was a little better off than the town
drunk, it began to sink in.
All along, he had thought he was better than the rejects in
life, but now he was one of them.
Weekly only gained a victory when he did something he had
preached to others for so long -
He admitted he was powerless to control the drugs, and he gave
himself completely over to God's power.
He received a healing and now ministers to those who are broken.
There are two ways to approach God.
In our own strength.
Or in God's strength.
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B. This simple parable is about the best at pointing this out.
C. Two men go to Temple area to pray. (Still happens today)
II. Pharisee's approach to God.
A. Pharisees equivalent to fundamentalists today.
1) Literally means "separated ones."
2) Small group (3000+), but pillars of community.
3) Devoted to following OT Law.
B. Particular Pharisee prays:
1) Praying in Temple and standing are customary.
a) He expresses essence of Pharisaism - separation.
1> "God, I thank you that I am not like other men..."
b) Necessary in response to pagan inroads, but had hardened
into self-righteousness.
2) Bad things he doesn't do.
a) I am not like other men.
b) He makes it personal - "Like this tax collector."
3) Good things he does.
a) Fasting beyond requirements.
b) Tithing, both income and purchases (beyond requirement).
C. He is good, and he knows it.
1) This prayer is reflected in Jewish sources.
Rabbi Simeon ben Jocai:
"If there are only two righteous men in the world,
I and my son are these two.
If only one is righteous, I am he."
2) Rather than praying, he seems to be informing God how good
he is.
III. Tax collector's approach to God.
A. Tax collectors were despised then, as now.
1) Farm system of raising government revenue.
a) Highest bidder got to raise as much taxes as he could,
then pocket the difference.
b) American system just as complicated.
1> Taxes on income, purchases, turnpikes, cars, boats.
2) Tax collectors were despised as cheats.
a) Tacitus - a statue was erected to an honest tax collector.
b) I've never heard that done for someone in the I.R.S.
B. His prayer:
1) At a distance (in corner?), lowered hands, downcast eyes.
2) Seven word prayer: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
a) It is true - he IS a sinner.
b) Emphatic in Greek - me, "the" sinner.
3) Heart of Jesus' teaching in this prayer.
a) God at front, sinner at rear.
b) There is a great gulf between us and God.
c) Approach is on basis of his mercy, not our works.
1> He doesn't compare himself to others.
2> He compares himself to God.
4) Righteousness is given, not earned.
a) Some argue that the tax collector Zacchaeus earned his
salvation with a pledge to pay back stolen money.
b) But even Zacchaeus was accepted by Jesus BEFORE he made
the pledge, not after. Luke 19:5-9
IV. Application by Jesus. 18:14
A. Jesus claims to know how God acts.
1) The tax collector was justified, and not the Pharisee.
a) "Justified" means to be accepted by God.
b) "Rather than" is too weak a translation.
1> One justified, the other is not.
2) Topic of parable is actually salvation, not prayer.
B. Shocking for audience.
1) Comparing Mother Theresa and Madonna?
2) Make Pharisee a secret sinner and tax collector a decent man,
like a "prostitute with a heart of gold"?
3) Misses the point.
C. Point is that both men are sinners.
1) Pharisee doesn't know it and trusts in himself.
2) Tax collector does know it and throws himself on God's mercy.
a) You can't be saved until you realize you're a sinner.
b) This can be the hardest step to take.
Evangelist Eddie Martin once conducted a crusade in
Bluefield, West Virginia.
At the altar call a well-dressed woman came forward.
It was Rev. Martin's custom to have them repeat the sinner's
prayer with him.
He took her hand and prayed,
"Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner.
I know I can't save myself.
I need forgiveness for my awful sins.
Please accept me, Jesus."
But as he prayed with the woman, she was silent.
He looked at her and asked, "Don't you want to be saved?"
She said, "Yes, I want to be saved, but I'm not a sinner."
"Then you can't be saved," he said. "Jesus only died for
sinners."
"But Rev. Martin - I'm a good sinner!"
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c) Three year study of Christians in Minnesota showed that
only 57% believed that all people are sinful.
d) One third admitted making mistakes, but did not see
themselves as sinful.
V. Religious people are often like the Pharisee.
A. We are not perfect, but we see ourselves as better than others.
Dr. David Schiedermayer is a Christian physician who
treats AIDS patients.
He saw them as different from other sick people because
they had gotten their disease from a sinful lifestyle.
He especially saw them as different from himself.
He would treat them, but not identify with them.
Then this parable hit him. He wrote:
"When we begin by despising others in our hearts -
- by thinking ourselves righteous in comparison to them
- we prove Jesus' words to be true.
I began my treatment of my first AIDS patient with the
attitude of a Pharisee.
I didn't considered the possibility that this stigmatized man
had repented and been forgiven while I was still in my sins.
In my heart, I approved of his suffering and inevitable death.
I now count all these sins equal to his - no, much greater,
according to Jesus.
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B. Jesus didn't like religious people.
1) He condemns them right and left.
2) He calls them broods of vipers.
VI. YOU are religious.
A. You are in a dangerous position.
1) Are you really right with God?
2) Or do you spend more time comparing yourself with others?
B. Sinner's prayer must describe your relationship with God.
1) And humility must describe your relationship with people.
C. Of the two approaches to God - the Pharisee's, and the tax
collector's - which best describes YOU?
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