Luke 18:9-14
A Prayer God Hears
Last week we looked at a parable where Jesus taught us to be persistent in our prayers: pray always, never give up, and above all, keep the faith! Today, in the very next passage in the Bible, Jesus makes a different point: he really points to the very crux of our salvation. The more you believe you deserve heaven, the less chance you’re ever going to see it. Because the truth of the matter is, no one deserves heaven. No one deserves salvation. No one deserves a relationship with a holy God who knows no sin. We have all rebelled and fallen short of the glory of God, all of us. The Apostle John reminds us that if we say we have no sin, we’re just lying (1 John 1:8)! And how could a holy and righteous God ever tolerate sin in his presence? That’s why we need a Savior, a power outside of ourselves.
To show us an answer, Jesus introduces two characters: a Pharisee and a tax collector. A Pharisee in Jesus’ time would be like a famous pastor or seminary professor today: we would look at that person as very holy, very righteous, really smart about the Bible. And the tax collector? A Jewish listener would consider such a person a traitor and a crook. Because Jewish tax collectors collected for the conquering Roman Empire, and cushioned their collections against their own countrymen to make more money.
Jesus’ story contrasts two different prayer styles, but also two different heart styles. It shows us two things NOT to do and two things TO do. First, in your prayer life...
Guard against:
1. Comparisons
When it comes to your prayer life, guard against comparing yourself to someone else. Listen to this guy in verse 11:
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...”
You can feel this Pharisee looking down his nose at the tax collector standing near him. “God, I’m glad I’m not as bad as that scumbag. Aren’t you?” It’s like he thinks God should be grateful that the Pharisee is on his team! The problem with comparisons is you can always find someone who is doing worse than you—which can lead to pride—and you can always find someone who is doing better than you—which can lead to depression. Neither is helpful. If you want to compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to Jesus. He is the only human to ever live who never sinned. When you compare yourself to Jesus, you will know you need a Savior. So guard against comparisons, and guard against....
2. Citations
By citations, I’m talking about a long list of all your accomplishments. Luke tells us in verse 9 that Jesus was addressing some folks who were “confident of their own righteousness.” How did they know they were such sharp cookies? Because they frequently told themselves so! They like to run through their citations. Listen to this guy in verse 12:
12 “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
Did you know in verses 11 and 12, this guy uses the personal pronoun “I” four times? “I do this, I do that.” The Jewish Bible only required fasting one day a year, on Yom Kippur. Jewish people might fast on other occasions, but this guy proudly stated that he fasted twice a week. And not only that, he tithed on EVERYTHING. Most Jews would tithe on their income. If they gained ten new sheep in the herd, they would give one to the Temple. But Pharisees...they would tithe even on things they bought in the market and the herbs they grew in their garden, because they didn’t want to miss a thing!
And here’s the thing: at some point they began to forget why they did good things like tithing and fasting. They got to the point where they didn’t do these things to honor God; they did them to bring attention to themselves. Putting down others and bragging about their own accomplishments made them feel better about themselves. We can understand that. But that kind of behavior doesn’t impress God, who sees our hearts. It doesn’t just matter WHAT you do, it also matters WHY you do it. God sees the inner motivation. So...
In your prayers, do two things. First,
1. Approach God with reverence
Look at the tax collector in the story. Verse 13 says,
13 But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven...
His stature, his very posture communicated humility instead of arrogance. While the Pharisee probably gazed upward to a heaven he would never reach, the tax collector gazed downward to a hell he would never reach. He was saved through his humility. When you approach God, approach God humbly. He is not the heavenly slot machine you hope will win you the jackpot. He’s not even Santa in the sky, overlooking the naughty and rewarding the nice. Because we said there’s no one who is nice all the time. Approach God with reverence. God is God and you’re not. God is great, and you’re not. God is good all the time, and you’re not, at least not all the time. Approach God with awe. And then,
2. Approach God with great need
When we really get to know God well, we know we bring nothing to the table. He doesn’t need our reputation, or our money, or our good looks. God can build his kingdom just fine without you or me. He can accomplish his will just fine without us. But he wants us just the same.
And we need God. Oh, how we need God! Sometimes we just don’t realize it. Or we forget about it. This tax collector didn’t forget. He probably had his fellow Jews remind him every day what a lousy guy he was. The rest of verse 13 says...
13b ...[he] beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
This prayer has become popular and is known as the “Jesus prayer.” Some people have modified it to, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Those are nine powerful words! They’re a way of remembering who God is and who we are. This tax collector had no illusions of his own grandeur, unlike his neighbor. This tax collector knew that if God didn’t come through for him, he was toast. He knew he didn’t stand a chance without mercy, without grace. Mercy means not getting what you deserve, and grace means getting what you don’t deserve. They are the flip side of the same coin. And we need both to make it into God’s family, to make it into heaven. That’s the only way a perfect God is going to allow an imperfect people like you and me come into his Kingdom, through the grace and mercy provided by Jesus’ death on a cross. Through that one act, God allows those who are humble to become his children.
Old Testament believers understood mercy and grace, too. They just didn’t yet know the name of their Savior. The prophet Jeremiah quoted God as saying,
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
And the writer of Hebrews tells us,
“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
God rewards our earnest faith in him with eternal life. That is the greatest reward of all. We get to enter his forever family. Not by anything we’ve done: not by tithing, not by getting our Sunday School 30-year perfect attendance pin, not by reading our Bible daily, not by walking little old ladies across the street, not by refraining from smoking or swearing or chewing, not by any of these behaviors. But only by the grace and mercy and forgiveness made available through Jesus’ blood.
This parable not only shows us how to pray; it also shows us how to live: totally dependent upon God’s grace and mercy. You have to have it to get saved, and you have to have it to live the way God wants you to live, every single day of your life.
When you live in God’s grace, you give that grace to others. You become more tolerant of others, more loving, more understanding, more forgiving. And others see the love of Jesus in you. It’s an amazing thing.
So don’t be all stiff-necked, full of pride like the Pharisee. Bow your head, recognize you need help, and humble yourself before the King of kings and Lord of lords, as you realize the truth of our last verse today, verse 14b:
14b “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Let us pray: Father, help us to be in that second category, more like the tax collector than the Pharisee. You know we all have a pride problem at times. Our ego gets the best of us before we know it. Help us to see our desperate need for you in every area of our life every day of the week. Please help someone today trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior for the very first time. We ask this in his name and for his glory, amen.
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I heard these couple of men talking. One was complaining about power struggles in his marriage, and the other guy said, “You know, when we first got married, my wife came to me and said, ‘Honey, if you will decide on all the major issues, I’ll decide on all the minor ones.’ And you know what? It’s worked just fine. And in 45 years of marriage, it’s amazing: we’ve not had one major issue!” [quoted in Max Lucado’s book, “How Happiness Happens.”]
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Luke 18:9-14
9 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.”
