Jump Start # 1005

Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people– robbers, evildoers, adulterers– or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”

Our verse today comes from a parable of Jesus. He was teaching about prayer, humility, self-righteousness, and judging others. The people in this parable are not real. This is a story. However, it is a story so real and so true, that it’s hard not to even put names to this. The Pharisee thought he had it all together. He considered himself the poster child of the way things ought to be done. He held himself up as the model to be followed. He seems to have it together on the outside. His insides were a mess.

There are several thoughts for us:

First, it is easy to define our faith by negatives. Someone asks, “What is a Christian?” It is easy to answer, “A Christian is one who does not cuss. He does not cheat. He does not lie. He is not a thief. He does not use drugs or alcohol.” On and on things can be named of what a Christian does not do. In the end, it still doesn’t define what is a Christian. The Pharisee never talked about faith. He never mentioned God’s grace or forgiveness. He never mentioned love—neither God’s love toward Him nor his love toward God. A Christian is more than someone who is against wrong. A Christian is for God. A Christian walks with Christ. Compassion, love, grace, hope, faith and serving are the charms upon the Christian’s bracelet. He is optimistic. He is wanting all to walk with Christ. He is constantly learning. He is connected to other believers. He is reaching out to others. He is, more than He is not.

Second, our insides are just as important as our outsides. Our Pharisee in this parable admitted that he was not an adulterer. Wonderful. That’s what God wants. However, was he lustful on the inside? Was he addicted to porn? He claimed that he was not an evildoer—yet his heart revealed that he was an evil thinker. He didn’t think much of the publican who was praying nearby. We may never punch someone, yet we can sure knock the stuffin’ out of them while gossiping to others. Because someone has never done wrong doesn’t give them a pass for the wrong they have thought. We can pat ourselves on the back because we showed up to church on a cold winter morning, yet while we are sitting in church services, our minds wander, our spirits are bored, we judge the people who are there, we fail to connect with the God of Heaven and Earth. Is that any better than the guy who stayed in bed that morning? Our thinking…our attitudes…our feelings toward others—just as important as our behavior. This Pharisee may have been spotless on the outside, but he certainly had issues on the inside. In another parable, Jesus compared the spirit of the Pharisees to a tomb. Nice on the outside, rotten on the inside.

Third, the Pharisees list of wrong that he avoided, seemed pretty obvious. He named robbers, evildoers and adulterers. Why did he fail to mention the arrogant, the prideful, the self-righteous? Did he actually think that he was without sin? Can we slip to that point? Is it possible for us to think everyone else is wrong but us? His check list on how he was doing was very narrow. He never touched upon faith issues. He never mentioned useless prayers. What was the point of this prayer? Was he praising God? Was he asking for something? Was he thanking God? He wasn’t talking so much to God as he was himself. Patting yourself on the back, blowing your own horn is a sign of poor self esteem, a lack of confidence, few friends and a shallow faith. God knows what we do. We do not have to tell Him. When you grasp that you are talking to God, whatever we have done seems small. There is no bragging to God. If anything, it reminds us of what we failed to do.

Fourth, this Pharisee seemed to think he had the publican pegged. Simply because he was a tax collector, the Pharisee assumed that he was a cheat. He assumed that he was unrighteous. False assumptions and generalizations most often get us in trouble. When someone says, “All men are pigs,” that’s not true. Not all are. When someone says, “Women can never make up their minds…” that’s not true. Some do. Religious judging most often is nothing more than an exercise in finger pointing. Few positive things come from that. Had this Pharisee known for certain that the tax collector was dishonest, maybe he should have spoken to him and helped him. As it turns out, Jesus saw more good in the tax collector than he did the Pharisee. The tax collector was honest, humble and seeking the mercy of God. He was bare before the Lord of Heaven. He had nothing to brag about. He had no one to compare himself to. He was alone with the Holy God. At that moment, he recognized that he was not holy. His faith was genuine. His heart was pure. He wanted nothing more than to be right with God. Indeed, he was seeking first the righteousness of God. His example becomes the model for us. If we looked more in the mirror and less at others, we would all be a better people. This is true in our worship, our preaching, our thinking and especially our prayers. Alone in the closet is how Jesus wanted His disciples to pray. Alone. Just you and God. No one to compare yourself with. No one to point fingers at. No one to blame. No one to hang excuses on. Just you and God. He knows all, sees all—including our insides. God will take care of the tax collector. The Pharisee couldn’t leave that. He had to say something negative about the tax collector. Why do we do the same? Those little words. Those little tags. Those little negatives. He use them to describe other churches, other people, other actions. Leave the tags to God. Focus upon our hearts.

You wonder what would have happened had the two men in this parable left the temple at the same time. Talked to each other? Hugs? A shared smile? Glad you came? Are you kidding! The Pharisee would have rolled his eyes, turned away and mumbled about “those kinds of people” coming to the temple. Wonder if we do the same? Wonder if I do the same? Wonder what God thinks of my prayers and my worship?

Two people went to pray. Only one prayed. Only one went home justified by God. The other, the Pharisee, remained the same. Unchanged. Unmoved. Never thinking that he needed to change. Never realizing that God was not pleased with his heart.

Give this some thought. Do you see yourself in that parable?

Roger