Two Prayers, Only One Answered Series

“Two Prayers Only One Answered”

Luke 18: 9-14

As we continue to look at different prayers in the Bible I was lead to this portion of scripture, where there are two men praying.

Luke 18:9 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:”

Without a doubt this was a story but we see that it was directed toward certain people.

Interesting I have been told by attending individuals that I should never direct a sermon toward a group of people; “You don’t want to offend anyone.”

I am not here to offend anyone but to preach the Word of God which is truth.

So who are these certain people?

If Jesus were speaking of the Pharisee’s I believe He would have said so.

My only conclusion is that Jesus was speaking unto some that were with Him and following Him.

Notice “unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others;”

Not very often do I try to express what a person may be thinking, but here we have Jesus who is telling this story but also reveals that fact that He (Jesus) knows the hearts of all.

They were such as had,

1. A great arrogance of themselves, and of their own righteousness; they thought themselves as holy, holier than all their neighbors.

2. They had a confidence in themselves before God, and not only had a high opinion of their own righteousness, but depended upon the merit of it.

Whenever they called out to God: They reminded themselves as being righteous; they thought they had made God their debtor, and might demand anything from him.

3. They despised others, - to hold and treat as of no account, to set at naught, treat with contempt.

In other words they looked down upon others.

This can be so easy as we begin to grow in our faith and believe that we have arrived to a level that others only wish they could reach.

Luke 18:10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.”

Two men went up into the temple to pray, “Which is called an house of prayer.

The Jews had a mighty notion of praying in a place of religious worship, as in the temple, or in a synagogue; imagining that their prayers were more acceptable to God, and sooner heard by him in such a place than in private:” (John Gill)

How sad that that is still the case today.

Many believe that they need to come to church to pray or call the preacher who can go in their stead.

Pharisee -

A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile.

In addition to OT books the Pharisees recognized in oral tradition a standard of belief and life.

They sought for distinction and praise by outward observance of external rites and by outward forms of piety, and such as ceremonial washings, fastings, prayers, and alms giving; and, comparatively negligent of genuine piety, they prided themselves on their fancied good works.

They held strenuously to a belief in the existence of good and evil angels, and to the expectation of a Messiah.

They cherished the hope that the dead, after a preliminary experience either of reward or of penalty in Hades, would be recalled to life by him, and be rewarded each according to his individual deeds.

In opposition to the usurped dominion of the Herod’s and the rule of the Romans, they stoutly upheld the theocracy and their country’s cause, and possessed great influence with the common people.

According to Josephus they numbered more than 6000.

They were bitter enemies of Jesus and his cause; and were in turn severely rebuked by him for their materialism, ambition, hollow reliance on outward works, and affection of piety in order to gain popularity.

Publican - a tax gatherer, collector of taxes or tolls, one employed by a publican or farmer general in the collection of taxes.

The tax collectors were as a class, detested not only by the Jews, but by other nations also, both on account of their employment and of the harshness, greed, and deception, with which they did their job.

They were chosen from the same nation but were looked down upon by their own people.

He had to be a Jew because we find him in the Temple praying.

I can only imagine the distaste that the Pharisee is showing.

Standing near “THAT” man who does he think he is?

“God will never answer his prayer.”

Let’s keep this in order and look at each of these prayers.

Luke 18:11-12 “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.