Kingdom Principle: The narrative of the coming of Jesus the King is simply but profound. Jesus the King has come, Jesus the King has gone away (for a time), but Jesus the King will come again. And when He returns he will bring justice with Him. Who will be justified when he returns?
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The Self-_________________ Pharisee depending on his _______________
Luke 18:11 (ESV) — 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.
Luke 18:11 (NASB95) — 11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself…
This is a man who is not impressed with God, he is impressed with himself. And the only reason he is impressed with himself is because he does not know himself truly. He has an inflated view of himself.
Mistake #1: The Pharisee compares himself to “other men”. (vs. 11)
When we compare ourselves to other sinners, it is easy enough to justify ourselves before God.
You are never as good as you think yourself to be.
The Law provided for but one fast, that on the Day of Atonement, so his fasting twice a week was [superfluous]. The pious were in the habit of fasting more often than the Law required and fasting on Monday and Thursday is attested (e.g.Taanith 10a, 12a). The Pharisee also went beyond the Law’s requirements in tithing. The Law prescribed that certain crops be tithed (Deut. 14:22), but it was a Pharisaic practice to tithe even garden herbs (11:42).
The Pharisee relies on his merit instead of God’s mercy.
Mistake #2: The Pharisee does not compare himself to God.
“I venture to say that no man rightly knows himself till he knows his God, because it is by the light and purity of God that we see our own darkness and sinfulness. There must be a perfect model before us before we can discern our own departures from perfection. You must have a standard by which to weigh yourself or you cannot tell whether you are wanting or not: God is the standard, and until a man knows the standard he does not know how far he himself has fallen short of it.”
— Charles H. Spurgeon, Heart-Knowledge of God (Jeremiah 24:7)
The Pharisees have erred in two ways. First in comparing themselves to others in regards to their righteous deeds and secondly in seeing God as a mere mortal that they can appease with those same meritorious works.
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The Self-________________ Tax Collector depending on God’s ____________
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!’
The Pharisee is impressed with himself, the tax collector hates himself and his sin.
Revelation 1:12–17 (ESV) — 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead…
We are all sinners. We have all fallen short. More than this, we actively offend God by our ongoing rebellion against his sovereign rule. Our only hope is God’s unmerited mercy found in Jesus Christ.
Questions to consider
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To whom are you tempted to compare yourself? Why is this unproductive?
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What happens when we compare ourselves to God? Why must God be merciful to us?
