You can turn with me in your Bibles to Luke's Gospel, Luke chapter 18. God willing, we'll return to John's Gospel next Sunday morning. But for this morning, we're going to look at Luke 18, verses 9 to 14, a familiar passage of Scripture concerning the Pharisee and the publican. But I do want to read beginning in verse 1 to verse 14.
So Luke 18, 1. Then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying, There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while.
But afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest, by her continual coming, she weary me. Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He beareth long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? Also, he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you that I'm not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, as we come to the issue of righteousness before God, I pray that you would give us eyes to see and ears to hear. I pray that you would cause us to reflect afresh upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
And God, help us to respond with thanksgiving. Help us to respond with worship and praise to such a God who's dealt so mercifully with such sinners. And we do pray that you'd give ears to hear and hearts to receive that truth among those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. I pray you would make them alive, that you would give them the graces of faith and repentance, that they would hear of a full, free salvation in and through our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
And this to your glory, and this for the good of sinners in this place. Again, wash us now, purify us now, cleanse us from all sin and everything that darkens our understanding, and grant us the Holy Spirit to shine the light upon this passage of scripture. And we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Introduction
Well, as we come to this particular parable, I think it's very instructive for us in what I said in terms of prayer, justification by faith alone. As we look at the parable, I want to observe three things. First, the occasion of the parable in verse 9. Secondly, the two men in the parable in verses 10 to 13.
And then finally, the summary of the parable in verse 14.
Occasion of the Parable
Notice with reference to the occasion of the parable, both of these parables have to do with prayer. So in verses 1 to 8, we see the context in verse 1. So what he's indicating there is that in terms of prayer, there must be perseverance, there must be constancy in prayer. We don't simply go to God once and say, well, there's my petition, I'm just going to leave it with you, and now I'm going to vacate.
No, be like this woman. She has been traditionally called the importunate widow. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She continues to go to the judge.
She continues to wear the judge down to the point where he says, so that she won't continue to weary me, I'll go ahead and render the verdict. And from that, the Lord Christ draws the principle, shall not God avenge his own elect who cry to him day and night? In other words, don't ever be put off of prayer because you don't get immediate answers. Don't ever conclude that I prayed and God just didn't answer.
Brethren, prayer is to be engaged in with importunity. You want to be constant at the throne of grace. You want to be persevering at the throne of grace. You are to bring those petitions in the spirit and in the manner that this woman did with reference to this unjust judge.
But then the second parable, again, reflects on prayer. Two men went to the temple to pray. But it's not just prayer that's in view, I think it's the attitude, the disposition, the mindset of humility that Jesus enjoins here. But he's also teaching us something about the way of salvation.
How do sinners, how do us, or people like us, enter into the presence of a holy God? Well, certainly this sets forth a pattern or an example for us in that regard. So in terms of the context, we see the constancy necessary in prayer verse 1, and then we see the need for humility in prayer in verse 9. And then notice specifically in terms of the context in verse 9.
Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Same sort of a mindset. Verse 1, he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. You know what the antidote is against not losing heart?
It's to pray. But you know what the antidote is with reference to trusting in yourself and despising others? It is to get a fresh dose of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. It is to live in a manner consistent with that. not to be exalted, not to be proud, not to be arrogant, not to be puffed up, but rather to be humbled under the mighty hand of God Most High.
So he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous. What kind of righteousness is in view? I think it's the righteousness that we need to have in order to be accepted by God. These men trusted in themselves that they were righteous.
You see it when we get to the Pharisee's prayer. He's pretty happy with his accomplishments. He's pretty happy with his performance. He's pretty happy in terms of what he does on a regular or daily basis.
So as far as he's concerned, when it comes time for him to die, the gates of heaven are going to swing wide open and God's going to welcome him in with open arms because he's been a fantastic human being. So with reference to the context, understand the righteousness involved is the Job 9.2. How can a man be righteous before God? As well, with reference to this particular context, he spoke this parable to some who consistently and persistently trusted in themselves that they were righteous.
In other words, this isn't theory. Jesus isn't just speaking to a possibility out there. The Pharisees were notorious for this. The Pharisees were notorious for a self-righteous attitude, a disposition of superiority.
Again, it will come out in full detail as we survey this particular man's prayer. And then as well, we see with reference to this, that there's always a connection between self-righteousness and then the judging of others. It's inextricable. If you have a problem being a very judgmental person, then most likely you have not been humbled under the mighty hand of God.
I'm not talking about the struggles with remaining corruption and this time and again where we might have it to rise up in us where we are judgmental of others. But if characteristically in your life you are a judgmental person to the point where you despise others, you're self-righteous. These things go hand in hand and this is the connection in view. He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.
And this despising of others simply means to show by one's attitude or manner of treatment that an entity has no merit or worth. In other words, it is to disdain them. It is to look down upon them. And it's something that, again, always goes with this self-righteous approach in Scripture.
Turn over to Romans 2 verse 1 for just a moment to see this in action. Romans chapter 2, after Romans 1, Paul having dealt with the Gentiles apart from the grace of God, he then turns his attention to the Jews. And essentially what he says, it's not just the Gentiles who find themselves in a bad situation before thrice holy God, it's also you Jews. So that when he gets to chapter 3 at verse 19, he concludes that all the world is guilty before God.
He can conclude that all men are liable to the wrath and fury and judgment of God. Not just Gentiles, but Jews as well. And notice is taken in verse 1 of chapter 2. Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge.
For in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. In other words, you think just because you have the law, just because you are of the people of God, the old covenant people of God, that's okay for you to disdain and despise those Gentiles, those nasty, dirty dogs? No, you've got the same issues, the same problems, and you have the same need for redemption through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So go back to Luke chapter 18. We've seen the occasion. of the parable.
The Two Men in the Parable
Now notice the two men in the parable in verses 10 to 13.
Their Identity: Hero and Hated
Jesus introduces them by their identity. He says one is a Pharisee and one is a tax collector. The old King James calls them a publican. And basically the publican or the tax collector were looked at in a bad way by most of society for a variety of reasons.
First, they collaborated with Gentiles, they handled currency with pagan inscriptions and iconography, they took money from fellow Jews, and were often greedy and corrupt. So you see why they wouldn't be the popular ones in society. You wouldn't typically say, oh, there's the tax collectors, let's go hang out with them. Usually in the New Testament, they are linked with sinners, Matthew 9, 10.
They're linked with Gentiles or heathen in Matthew 18, 17. They're linked with harlots in Matthew 21, 31. And they're linked with extortioners, unjust and adulterers right here in Luke chapter 18. So when Jesus says that these two men went to the temple to pray, one was a Pharisee, everybody who would have heard Jesus would say, oh, that's the hero, that's the religious leader, that's the righteous man, that's the favored man.
And then they'd hear tax collector and they say, oh, that's the reprehensible man, that's the man we all despise, that's the man we all disdain, that's the man we all detest. And so Jesus uses these two persons for his parable for ultimately shock value. When he gives the conclusion that the publican goes home justified, persons that were listening to him probably would have gasped in horror. What do you mean the heathen?
Or what do you mean, rather, the tax collector goes home justified? What do you mean that the Pharisee was not justified? So Jesus is shocking them into understanding what's in view with reference to this particular situation. So we see their identification. a hero and a hated one, but then notice, secondly, there's similarities.
There's similarities.
Their Similarities
There's something the same, at least in two aspects with these men. They both went to the temple. They both went to the temple. Now you may say, well, that's not that big of an observation, Butler.
Well, here's what I conclude from that. Presence in the right place at the right time is no sure indicator of grace in the heart. In other words, persons can go to church. Persons can go to Christian fellowship.
Persons can attend a Bible study. It's not osmosis that saves us. As old Keith Green said, going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger. It's not something you catch.
It's not something that is contagious. but rather it must be predicated, all those in the last hour now know what that word means, it must be predicated upon the grace of God in the heart. So never think, well, I go to church, I listen at family worship, I carry a Bible, I listen to sermons. Again, all of those things are good pursuits, but they're not sure indicators that there's grace in the heart. So they had this similarity in common.
They both went to the temple. But what's the second similarity? They both prayed. Again, as the original audience heard this, they were struck with the beauty of the Pharisee's prayer.
They were probably no doubt saying, what a wonderful fellow he is. What a great guy he is. He's not unjust. He's not an extortioner.
He's not an adulterer. And he's not even like that tax collector. And then we have this publican who can't even look up into heaven, but he beats his breast and says, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. You see, it is common among people to pray.
In fact, sometimes people treat it as if it's some sort of a remedy for your ailing conditions. Well, go ahead and pray about it. That's great. As God's people, we should pray about it. as those who aren't God's people pray to God for salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
So they both go to the temple and they both pray.
Their Differences: The Pharisee
But now we should observe their differences. In the first place, notice the Pharisee in verses 11 and 12. Jesus highlights his manner. Verse 11, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.
I don't think that's accidental language. He prayed thus with himself. Brethren, you know what it is to pray thus with yourself. Those are the most frustrating times of prayer there are, isn't it?
We don't want ourself on the other end of our prayer. We want God on the other end of our prayer. You've probably had that experience. You've gone to pray and it feels as if your prayers bounce off the ceiling and come right back into your lap.
And then there are those times, and there are few and far between, unfortunately, where it seems like heaven opens up and glory comes down and fills your soul. I don't think it's accidental that our Lord Jesus says that the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. He is more in the position of self-congratulations. He's more in a position of pride and arrogance.
He's more about his accomplishments than expressing his dependence upon God. At the throne of grace, brethren, that's not the place for us to submit our resume. The throne of grace is for us to show our dependence upon God Almighty. It is that place wherein we worship and we glorify and we praise, not ourselves, but God Almighty.
Again, for most Christians in the 21st century, we get it. But in the first century context, when Jesus is speaking this, they didn't necessarily get it. Remember the Pharisee was the hero and the publican was the hated one. Notice with reference to the Pharisee, his prayer, or his manner, and then his content, or the content of his prayer.
First of all, he thanked God for what he was not, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Thank you, God, that I'm not in prison. Thank you, God, that I'm not in hell. Thank you, God, that I'm not Chairman Mao.
Thank you, God, that I'm not Joseph Stalin. That's a good thing. That's an okay thing to pray about. But that's not the disposition.
That's not the spirit. This is a conveyance of his own righteousness. This is a rehearsal of his own accomplishment. This is a recognition that is for the intention to promote himself of all that he isn't in terms of the rabble that he finds around them.
So notice verse 11, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners. which again, it's good to not be an extortioner. It's a blessing. That I'm not unjust. Again, we should seek to be just.
I'm not an adulterer or even as this tax collector. As any of you who've been a Christian for any amount of time knows, there's awkward things that happen in the Christian life. There's awkward things whenever you're in any society of people and Christians aren't immune to that. Awkward things happen in church.
Awkward things happen in Bible study. Awkward things happen when you're mixing and chucking and jiving with the people of God. But one awkward thing I have never experienced is having somebody in my presence thanking God that he wasn't me. Now, I'm not suggesting that everybody loves me, that everybody respects me, that everybody is favorable toward me, but again, I don't ever remember somebody saying, thank you God that I'm not this and I'm not like him.
Imagine the chutzpah of somebody actually engaged in this. Brethren, as he's teaching this parable, again, this isn't what would have shocked the first century hearers. What would have shocked the first century hearers is the report that the publican went home justified. This was pretty commonplace at the time.
When Jesus gives the way that men should pray in Matthew chapter 6, he's not making things up. He says, don't be like the hypocrite who stands on the street corner and engages in long prayers so that he may be seen by men. This was actually happening in the religious culture in Israel in the first century. It actually happens today, though I think it's a bit more subtle.
We can engage in the same sort of thing. Thank you, God, that I'm not an Arminian. Thank you, God, that I'm not a dispensationalist. Thank you, God, that I'm not like this rabble that fills the churches around us.
We need to be on guard and we need to understand that at the throne of grace, above all places, we ought to manifest a spirit of humility. And that is contrary to what the Pharisee is engaged in here. So he doesn't judge his own sin rightly, rather he judges his sin in light of those around him. In other words, I'm not as bad as these guys.
I'm not as bad as those guys, I'm certainly not as bad as this particular tax collector. So he thanks God for what he was not, but then notice he boasts in what he does. Verse 12, I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Again, just as a basic principle, brethren, as you go to the throne of grace, that's the last place you want to offer up your religious resume.
That's the last place you want to say, God, I'm a great guy. God, I'm a great girl. I'm splendid. I'm wonderful.
I'm awesome, I'm excellent. That's what this man is doing. This man has no regard whatsoever for sin, for sinners, for the law, for himself, for the holiness of God. It's evident by the fact that he thanks God for the reality that he's not this publican, but as well, he celebrates what he practices.
Calvin says we must not swell with confidence as if we had satisfied God. And next, we must not look down with disdainful contempt upon our brethren. So you see how these two things go hand in hand. He is a proud man.
He trusts in himself that he is righteous and that accompanies with it this disdain for others, unjust, extortioner, adulterer, and tax collector. This man is the embodiment of whom Jesus is speaking to relative to this particular parable. Self-righteousness in religion does not promote Ephesians 4. Self-righteousness in religion does not endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
Self-righteousness does not promote what Paul tells us the church is to be about in Ephesians chapter 4. It is the imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith alone that puts us in our proper place. Again, not that we never color outside the lines, not that we never get uppity, not that we never get a bit judgmental, not that we never get to that point where we might be despising others, but as the overarching concern of our lives, if we're self-righteous, we're going to disdain others. If we have Christ's righteousness, we're going to be charitable. and kind and large-hearted and gracious to others.
We're not going to say, or even as this tax collector. It is a horrific commentary on the sinfulness of man that at the throne of grace, instead of expressing his dependence on God and his worship of God, that he celebrates his own activity before God.
The Publican's Humility and Cry for Mercy
Now notice the difference with reference to the publican, verse 13. Verse 13 describes his manner. And the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to have it, but beat his breast. So he stands afar off, which indicates something of his humility and his unworthiness.
Remember, the Pharisee stands and he prays thus with himself. The Pharisee in Matthew's gospel in chapter six sort of blows the horn before he puts his money in the box. The Pharisee in Matthew chapter 6 is the guy who stands on the street corner so that people can see him pray. That is absolute ludicrousness in terms of our approach to God Most High.
That's not so with the publican. He stands afar off. He's not worthy to enter into the presence of God Almighty. It's not worthy to stand there as if he's the proud man and say, look God, how great and accomplished I am.
He can't do that. He can't even look up into heaven. All he can do is beat his breast. You see the absolute opposite in terms of the publican and the Pharisee.
The Pharisee is full of pride. He's full of arrogance. He's full of insolence. Not so with the publican.
This man can't even look up into heaven. And then he beats his breast and notice what he says. Literally he says, God be merciful to me, the sinner. God be merciful to me, a sinner, is a right sort of translation, but the word is articular.
That means it has the article. As far as this publican is concerned, there's nobody else on the face of the earth but him and God. And as far as God is concerned, he comes before him, not with his own righteousness, not with his despising of others, not with his self-trust, not with what he practiced, but all he can say is, God be merciful to me, the sinner. Notice what distinguishes the publican from the Pharisee.
In the first place, he acknowledges what the Pharisee does not. The Pharisee doesn't have this time of contrition. The Pharisee doesn't say, Lord, forgive me. The Pharisee doesn't invoke the mercy of God, but that is precisely where the publican begins.
He begins with his own sin. J.C. Ryle says, the publican did not speak for his neighbors, but himself. Vagueness and generality are the great defects of most men's religion.
It doesn't speak about the sins of the nation or the sins of my family or the sins of whatever. No, God be merciful to me, the sinner. Have you ever found how easy it is to confess other people's sins? It's simple, isn't it?
It's easy. It's great. It's wonderful. C.S.
Lewis has an essay on that. The danger of national repentance. The danger of national repentance. What oftentimes happens is that the repenting one puts on people sins that they have never committed.
It's easy to confess the sins of the people out there, the sins of the publicans, or the sins of the Pharisees. It's easy to confess everybody else's sin. That's not what this man does. He can't even look up into heaven, he beats his breast, he says, God be merciful to me, the sinner.
John Gill says, this is his prayer, a short, but a very full one, and greatly different from that of the Pharisee, in which is a confession that he was a sinner, a sinner in Adam, who had derived a sinful nature from him, being conceived and born in sin, and a sinner by practice, having committed many actual transgressions, attended with aggravating circumstances, a guilty and filthy sinner, a notorious one, deserving of the wrath of God, and the lowest hell. He speaks of himself as if he was the only sinner in the world, at least as if there was none like him. If you're not a believer here this morning, may I encourage you to get something of what this man has? The idea that you're okay, the idea that you've never done anything really bad is absolutely folly.
You have done bad things. You have sinned against the Holy God. You have done that which is deserving of God's wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come. Those persons, when they're met with the gospel of our salvation, they say, well, you know, tell it to the sinners around us.
Tell us to the people who are really bad. I know I was brought up Roman Catholic. My default response to anybody who would ever give me the gospel, or at least a bit of it, was to say, well, I haven't been that bad. I've never committed murder.
I've never committed adultery. Sort of the benchmark sins. Interestingly, David committed both and nevertheless enjoys the marriage supper of the lamb. It's not our works of righteousness, but it's the active and the passive obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you have not embraced the reality that you're a sinner, may I encourage you to do so? There is no salvation without first understanding the problem. That's why the catechism starts with guilt. That's why it emphasizes, how do you know your sin and misery?
The law of God tells me so. That's why we preach the 10 commandments. That's why we extol the law of God. Yes, to tell people what we ought to be about as Christians, but as well to show non-Christians where they have sinned against a holy God and why they need Jesus Christ.
You're not good. You're not polished. You're not righteous. You're not upright.
Yeah, you may not be Joseph Stalin. You may not be Chairman Mao. But you are a sinner who is justly liable to the wrath and curse of God Most High right here and right now. As well, the Pharisee, or rather the publican, acknowledges what the Pharisee does not.
Notice, God be merciful to me, the sinner. So as a sinner, he understands his need for mercy. As a sinner, he understands it's not time to congratulate myself for being a great guy. As a sinner, he understands that it's not his time to, you know, sort of bring his resume before a holy God.
No, he acknowledges his need for mercy. See, if you are following and you understand the reality that you are a sinner, it's not moral reform that you need. It's not try a little bit harder, do a little bit better. No, it's cast yourself upon the mercy of God Almighty.
So the publican acknowledges what the Pharisee does not. He stands in mercy, but as well, he acknowledges what the Pharisee does not also. Listen to this. God is merciful.
See, we just thought about that or referred to that in Hebrews chapter 11, 11, six. It says that those that believe that God is, and those who come to God must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. You need to know that not only is there a God, but this God is full of mercy. This God is full of grace.
This God is full of kindness. This God does save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto him through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the publican acknowledges this reality. Not only do I need mercy, but God is in the business of giving mercy.
It's a most blessed arrangement. We're wretched, we're undone, we're messed up, we're wrecked and ruined by sin, and God in the gospel comes to people just like us. It is most wondrous, it is most glorious, it is most awesome. And then he does again what the Pharisee doesn't do.
He casts himself upon God's grace and goodness. Notice what he says, God be merciful to me, a sinner. In other words, he understands rightly the problem. He understands rightly the holiness of God.
He understands rightly that apart from God, there is no acceptance. And so what does he do? He casts himself on mercy. He throws himself on the mercy of the court.
He says, God, be merciful to me. I've heard this with the hearing of the ear. I've seen people that have actually been saved. I go to a church where these things are preached.
I don't want to just leave them out there, but rather I want to try and test and show that God is true in terms of being merciful to sinners. It is a most glorious thing. Literally, he says, God be propitious to me. And this means to cause, to be favorably inclined or disposed, to propitiate or to conciliate.
He understands the basics. God is holy. He is not, but God is in the business of saving wretched sinners just like he is. So before we move on to the summary, I ask you to consider that.
I ask you to contemplate that. I ask you to think through that. Are you a believer here this morning? After the wedding, a fellow asked me at the reception the other night, you don't ask questions in your preaching.
It kind of caught me a bit off guard. What do you mean? We should stop and have question time? I don't think that's what he meant.
I think he meant that the rhetorical device that preachers sometimes, notice sometimes, not always, they sometimes employ where they ask questions of the hearer. Again, not for group participation, you don't need to stand up and raise your hand and give the actual answer, but ask yourself in your heart of hearts right now, if I were to die today, am I going to end up in heaven? If God says right now, your soul, I require of you, which is not outlandish, Luke 12. In fact, turn to Luke 12 for just a moment to see something of this possibility, this reality.
Luke 12, 13, then one from the crowd said to him, teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he said to him, man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you? And he said to him, take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses. Then he spoke a parable to them saying, the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
This guy's already introduced to us as being a success. I mean, he was on the magazine of Agriculture Inc. in his community. The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully, and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? Imagine that problem, brethren.
What shall I do? I don't have a place to put all my money. I don't have a place to put all my loot. I don't have a place to store all my goods.
So he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build greater. And there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, you have many goods laid up for many years.
Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Great. Everything's wonderful. He's a success.
He's a self-made man. He's a billionaire. His biggest problem is that he has a storage situation. So what does he do?
He doesn't make more barns. He tears down the old ones, and he puts bigger ones in their place. And then in his soliloquy, he says to himself, you're doing great. Everything's fine.
You've got many goods laid up for many years. Isn't this the way that we plan? Isn't this the way that we think? Isn't it the case that we think for sure we got another 20, 25, 30 years?
If you're younger, you can add, you know, a decade or two to that. We don't ever think we're going to die today. We just don't. We don't ever think we're going to die tomorrow.
We just don't. It's not something that comports with us. It's outside of our frame of reference. We are oriented in such a way that we, like this rich man, will say, soul, you have many goods, laid up for many years, take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Verse 20. But God said to him, fool, this night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those things be which you have provided? So back to Luke chapter 18, I'm not trying to scare anybody.
I'm not trying to rain on anybody's parade. I'm not trying to trigger you or make you unhappy or make you sad, but to bring to you the reality of what James says in James 4, don't boast about tomorrow. We're just a vapor that appears for a time and then is gone. If you are living in rebellion against God Almighty, if you are a sinner against the majesty of the Most High, listen to the text, beat your breast.
Actually, that's not requisite. It's not the case. Well, you didn't beat your breast, so therefore now cast yourself by grace upon the mercy of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's the point.
That's the blessed message. That's the reality. And
Summary of the Parable
Jesus confirms that in the summary of the parable in verse 14. Notice, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified. That, my brothers and sisters, again, would have shocked the original audience. Him?
The tax collector? The publican? The guy who couldn't even stand and pray thus with himself? The guy whose prayer was only that long?
The guy who said, God be merciful to me, the sinner? That's the one who has mercy? That's the one who's justified? That's the one who's going to heaven?
Absolutely. Isn't that what we have found, believing the gospel? For those of us who, by God's grace, are saved today, isn't it the truth? We didn't have to work.
We didn't have to labor. We didn't have to resolve. We didn't have to say, God, I'll give you 10 years of hard service, and when that's all over, I expect that you'll receive me to yourself. No.
Whether we said, God, be merciful to me, the sinner, or not, that's what happened. by God's grace, He showed us our sin, He showed us His Son, and He showed us the way of approach through the Lord Jesus Christ in faith. This man went to his house justified, he had acceptance with God. The word means just that, to justify, to declare righteous, the perfect looks at the completed state, the state of having been declared to be right. The passive indicates that it's God, who's the one doing the justifying.
So this man, who was justified, had acceptance with God. And as we see in the context, and I don't want to go too far afield, but it was declarative rather than transformative. He wasn't automatically made a great guy. No, he received great mercy.
He wasn't automatically changed into something that hopefully he would have become 10 or 15 or 20 years later. He's accepted, not on the basis of his own righteousness, not on the basis of his own works, he's accepted not on the basis of his own performance, but he's accepted on the basis of Christ, what Christ had done, what Christ does in his life and his death and resurrection. This man knew experientially what the divines at Westminster would include in their shorter catechism. Westminster shorter catechism number 33.
What is justification? Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardons all of our sins and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. When you met this man walking home and you asked him, how is it that you're now justified? He wouldn't have said, because of what I practice, because of what I'm not.
He would have said, because of what Christ has accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection. He found acceptance with God, not based on his own works, but based on what Christ does. So going back just a bit to when I asked a question, are you a believer in Jesus Christ the Lord? You have to understand that the way of salvation is very closely connected to that question.
The answer isn't go out and do better, go try harder, go be more excellent, attend church more, be around. No, it's believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. This man would have surprised the original hearers, and I suspect that he surprises some today. Those who aren't in tune with the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
They might say, wait a minute, how is he justified? He hasn't promoted his own faithfulness. He hasn't contributed his own works. Well, as Paul teaches us in Galatians, it's not about faith plus works, it's faith alone in Christ alone by God's grace alone.
So that's the disposition of the summary statement concerning the publican, but notice the Pharisee. Verse 14, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. What does that indicate? He wasn't saved.
Okay, so he wasn't unjust. He wasn't an extortioner. He wasn't an adulterer. He wasn't this tax collector, but he wasn't saved either.
He tithed all that he possessed. He fasted a couple of times a week. He showed his rigor in terms of religious accomplishment, but he wasn't saved. See, there's this mindset out there that the more that I do, the more saved I'll be.
No, it's about what Christ has done. Please get that today. If you don't get anything else, well, try to get everything else. But when you go home today and ponder the reality that God is holy and I am not, listen to the remedy.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. So rather than the other. So what does that mean with reference to the Pharisee? He's not justified.
He's liable to the wrath, to the curse, and to the fury and judgment of God Almighty. So as our brother pointed out in the last hour, we focus upon the love of God in the evangel, in the presentation of the gospel. We tell sinners, God is full of love and he has a wonderful plan for your life. That's half the story.
If you resist and you reject and you continue in your unbelief, you persist in your rebellion against God Most High. It's not the love of God that you're going to experience in the age to come. It's the wrath of God. It's the judgment of God.
It is, in the language of the book of Revelation, it is the lake of fire. It is torment, it is suffering, it is heartache, it is no rest for the wicked. It is God's justice and righteousness and judgment vented on those who engaged in patterns of rebellion against Him. He was rejected and would receive the wrath of God due to his sin and rebellion.
And he found what was true throughout the rest of scripture, that it's not faith plus works, it's not works alone, but it's faith in Jesus that avails us with God. In the marrow of modern divinity, not modern, 20th or 21st century, but 17th century. Edward Fisher writes, so that if you desire to be justified before God, you must either bring to him a perfect righteousness of your own and wholly renounce Christ, or else you must bring the perfect righteousness of Christ and wholly renounce your own. Christ Jesus will either be a whole savior or no savior.
He will either save you alone or not save you at all. It's Christ alone. It's belief in Him. It's faith in the Redeemer that brings redemption, not moral reform, not trying a little harder, not fasting an additional time during the week.
Turn to Galatians 2. The apostle brings this in sharp relief. We'll bring this to a close in just a moment. But look at what Paul says in Galatians 2.
He's discoursing on justification by faith alone. You see that in verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. And in context, he's talking about faith plus these works.
It's not even talking about just works. It's not saying you're messed up if you try to approach God with your works. No, he says you're messed up if you try to approach God with your works and faith. See, get that down.
Fisher's not joking. It's either we come to God with our righteousness or we come to God with the righteousness of another, even Jesus. That's how Paul concludes in a summary form in verse 21. He says, I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
It's either all Christ or all you. And if it's all you, it better be perfect. It better be exact. It better be entire.
And it better be the case that you have perpetually obeyed God in every jot and diddle of the law. There's no curve. God doesn't give bonus points because you tried real hard. It's either obey the law perfectly and enter into heaven based on your righteousness, or look to Christ who obeyed the law perfectly and enter into heaven based on his righteousness.
Listen to J. Gresham Machen commenting on verse 21 in Galatians 2. This verse is the key verse of the epistle to the Galatians. It expresses the central thought of the epistle.
The Judaizers, those were people that were saying, believe in Jesus and get circumcised in order to be saved. They're not saying believe in Jesus and you can get circumcised, it doesn't really have any religious significance. No, believe in Jesus and get circumcised in order to be saved or accepted by God. The Judaizers attempted to supplement the saving work of Christ by the merit of their own obedience to the law.
That, says Paul, is impossible. Christ will do everything or nothing. Earn your salvation if your obedience to the law is perfect, or else trust wholly to Christ's completed work. You cannot do both.
You cannot combine merit and grace. If justification, even in the slightest measure, is through human merit, then Christ died in vain. That's the point of Galatians 2.21. When you arrogantly assert that part of my conduct is the basis upon which God accepts me, then you're saying the cross was vanity.
Why would he have to do that if we could conjure up an obedience? Calvin makes the same observation on Galatians 2.21. For if we do not renounce all other hopes and embrace Christ alone, we reject the grace of God. Luther, same thing, for whoever seeks righteousness apart from faith in Christ, whether it be through works of satisfactions or afflictions or the law of God, is nullifying the grace of God and despising the death of Christ, even though he may speak otherwise with his mouth.
Typically, they don't say, well, I despise the work of Christ, but that's what they're conveying in light of Galatians 2.21. So in summary, God is a holy God. You're not, I'm not, no one in this room is. We have all sinned against God.
The response to that isn't go try harder, go fast more, go tithe more, but rather it is to cast yourself by the grace of God upon the mercy of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. Believe in him and you'll be saved. Believe in him and you'll be forgiven of your sins and you will receive a righteousness by which you'll enter in to heaven. So Jesus summarizes everything at the end of verse 14 by saying, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Theological Benefit of the Parable
I want to close with two quick thoughts. First, the theological benefit of the parable. What does this parable teach us about God? The parable is helpful with reference to the law of God.
It doesn't mention the law of God, but when we see this Pharisee think that somehow he's accomplished the law of God by these measly things that he has done, he has no consciousness of that law. The Pharisees were supposed to be the guys skilled in the law. If you're skilled in the law of God, you're not going to parade yourself as a model of obedience. If you're skilled in the knowledge of the law of God, you're going to be hopefully humbled by the power of that law.
The parable is helpful with reference to the doctrine of justification. I'll tell you flat out, Roman Catholicism teaches that thing. You need faith plus this church in order to get to heaven. You need faith plus the seven sacraments of this church.
I don't mean this, FGBC, I mean the Roman Catholic. You need faith plus the seven sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church in order to enter heaven. That's the Galatian heresy. That's adding faith and works together for our acceptance with God.
But as well, the parable, in terms of theology proper, what it communicates to us about God is that God is merciful. God is merciful. I tell you, Jesus says, this man went to his house justified. What does that tell you?
The worst people in society can go to heaven? Yeah, that's what it tells you. I know that's an offense to the world. I know that's an affront to the world.
Well, that's not right. I've lived an upright life. I've cut my grass. I've washed my car.
I've paid my taxes. I've worked hard and you tell me I'm gonna go to hell and this crack dealer over here is gonna go to heaven? That's an offense. Why?
Because it underscores God's grace, amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see. It's not an offense to the believer.
The believer sees it as his blessed benefit. There is mercy to be had in God.
Practical Benefit of the Parable
Secondly, there is a practical benefit of the parable. Just backing up a distance, talking specifically to the blood-bought children of God, encouraging each of us in light of our responsibilities as God's people, not in order to become God's people, that's by grace through faith, but as God's people, we have responsibilities. We're to endeavor to keep the unity, the spirit, and the bond of peace. We're to do so with all lowliness and long-suffering and gentleness.
We're to do so in a manner and disposition of what? Humility. He told this parable to some who trusted in themselves and despised others. These two things go hand in hand.
The parable in the first place should aid the believer in their approach to others. Humility is the watchword for the people of God. Not pride, not arrogance. Thank you, God, that I'm not like this guy I'm sitting next to in the pew.
Man, he's a mess. Thank you that I'm not him. Ryle says, we're all naturally self-righteous. It is the family disease of all the children of Adam.
From the highest to the lowest, we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to do. We secretly flatter ourselves that we are not so bad as some, and that we have something to recommend us to the favor of God. Ryle's right, brethren. If you have not embraced that reality, call me, email me, I will send you that quote.
Secondly, the parable should underscore the necessity of humility in the Christian life. Verse 14, B, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. There is division in the church today. I don't know what the consequences going forward are going to be with the kinds of division that we've seen, not only in the church, but in society as a whole.
Humility and loneliness will go a long way for all of us to facilitate a right going forward in the fear of God. This is requisite. The parable thirdly should remind believers of the close connection between self-righteousness and judgmentalism. If, as a manner of habit, you are judgmental to others, you may have a problem in terms of your salvation.
Because when we're justified by grace through faith, when we understand who God is and who we are before him, God be merciful to me, the sinner. It is still doable, because we're that bad, but it's not as much of a proneness to look down upon others or disdain them or despise them. Fourthly, the parable should remind the believer of the foundation upon which he stands. It's a merciful God and justification by faith alone.
And then the parable should remind the believer of the stark difference between justification by a mix of works and faith, and justification by faith alone. I want to close by quoting John Murray on Romans 3. He says, justification by works always finds its ground in that which the person is and does. Thank you, God, that I'm not like this guy.
Thank you, God, that I fast. Thank you, God, that I tithe. Justification by works always finds its ground in that which the person is and does. It is always oriented to that consideration of virtue attaching to the person justified.
I'm a great guy. I'm wonderful. Just ask me. The specific quality of faith is trust and commitment to another.
It is essentially extra-spective. I think we all know the word introspection. That's when we focus on ourselves. I like Murray's use of extra-spective.
Get your eyes off self, on to Jesus. So the specific quality of faith is trust and commitment to another. It is essentially extra-spective. And in that respect is the diametric opposite of works.
Faith is self-renouncing. Works are self-congratulatory. Faith looks to what God does. Works have respect to what we are.
It is this antithesis of principle that enables the apostle to base the complete exclusion of works upon the principle of faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
Closing Prayer
Let us pray. Our Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the clarity in this parable concerning the two men. And God, help us to learn the theological richness of the parable concerning your mercy, concerning justification by faith. as well practically help us to be humble, help us to be lowly, help us to live in light of Holy Scripture and the reality of a great and glorious God and salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
And help us to honor you and to praise and to worship and to serve you. And Lord God, for those who are not believers in Jesus, we pray that today would be the day of salvation. We pray that your Holy Spirit would do that work which is impossible with us. Bring conviction for sin and set forth Christ and all of his offices as savior to them.
And may they by grace believe on him and receive that forgiveness and that righteousness that avails with God. And we ask in Jesus name, amen. We'll close with a brief time of meditation.