Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

5. Luke 18:9-14 (NIV) “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 ‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’”

6. The Pharisee He goes beyond what is expected in piety By every external measure, he is an upstanding citizen He knows he is good and is not afraid to boast about it

7. Charles Spurgeon “I thought a man in my church was very righteous, until he told me so.”

8. The Self-Righteous Man We thank God that we are better than our ignorant neighbors We become grateful for how disciplined we are, unlike other lazy so and sos We watch our money while others foolishly waste it

9. The Self-Righteous Man This kind of person thinks he is in God’s good graces, when in fact, they are not

10. The Tax Collector Tax-collectors were exploitative, cheating people out of more taxes than were required They were agents of the hated Roman government The man knew himself and his own shortcomings, and he deeply felt a distance from God

11. The Tax Collector He begged God for mercy and went home in the good graces of God

12. Jesus finishes the story by saying, “…all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (v. 14) • He wants us to move from justifying ourselves to allowing ourselves to be justified by God

13. God hears our cry today when it comes out of the reality of our deep, aching need for Him • Prayer is the humble recognition that we lack any power or ability to make things happen and that God is able to do all things 

14. Luke 18:9-14 (NIV) “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 ‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’”

15. Luke 18:9-14 (NIV) “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 ‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’”

16. So put your eyes on Jesus and humble yourself in prayer, confessing your deep dependence on God!