Thanks, BUT No Thanks
Luke 18:9-14 Rev. R.B.Hughes
Luke 18:14 “… for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
I. INTRODUCTION
Happy Thanksgiving! I enjoy thanksgiving.
- I like the lack of commercialism.
- I enjoy the atmosphere of home and family
· Children, grandparents, reunions, meal at the table, pie, 60 million calories.
- Thanksgiving tilts our head upwards.
· Element of humility.
· Genuine gratitude to God.
· Counting blessings.
BUT thanks is more than a word. It’s an attitude of the heart.
We’ve used the term “thanks’ in a none thankful manner.
When the telemarketer calls.
- Thanks, but no thanks.
- Yes but no!
When I told a bad golfer that Cal had an extra golf ball in his back pocket.
- Cal gave me the “Thanks a lot” look.
- Not really saying feeling gratitude towards me at that moment.
The point being that we can use the term “thanks” and not mean it.
- We can do that when we thank God as well.
- Unbelievers use the term “Thank God” as a relief rather than gratitude.
RELIGIOUS PEOPLE AS WELL!
Lets look at Luke 18
II. EXPOSITION OF LUKE 18:9-14
Again Jesus is the master storyteller and he loves a surprise ending!
· Look at His audience in verse 9.
A. The Similarities. v.10.
- Both were mere men. (given their vocations)
- Both came to pray.
- Both came to the temple.
- Both came to the same God.
- Both spoke for their condition.
B. The Prayers. v.11-13
1. The Pharisee. v.11,12
His Outward Appearance: “he stood”
- You can stand and pray but this particular time is more revealing.
- He stands to be seen.
- If he thought that kneeling would make him look favorable he would.
Ill/ The defiant child being punished: “I may be sitting on the outside but I am standing on the inside.”
- Position doesn’t always mean something.
- He would be wearing the finest religious robes of the day.
His Prayer: “God, I thank you …”
- If he had stopped there he would have been on the right track.
Note: His prayer was “to himself or with himself”.
“I am not like other men ..”
- I am something!
- I am not a sinner like others are!
“I am not like THIS man in particular”
- This tax collector rated as the worst of the sinners.
- I am not like this child molester.
- I am not like a murdering terrorist.
- WE LOVE TO GIVE A GOOD “BAD” EXAMPLE.
“I am like this …”
- I, I, I, I, I ….. 5 times!!
This was a prayer to himself about himself.
- He religiously started with God …. Thanks God …..
- He doesn’t even qualify it by say “but by the grace of God go I ..”
IT IS AT THIS POINT IN THE PARABLE THAT JESUS HAS CAUGHT ME!!!
BECAUSE I SAY “I AM NOT LIKE THAT PHARISEE”.
Pride is so so subtle!!
A young woman went to her pastor and said, "Pastor, I have a besetting sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not think that, but I can’t help it. I want you to help me with it." The pastor replied, " don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake."
Pride has many masks BUT none prettier than spiritual pride. GOD HELP US.
2. The Tax Collector. v.13.
His Outward Appearance: He too was “standing”
- A far off … symbolic of how he felt within.
- The prodigal .. “a far off country”
- Peter … “followed afar off”
- Lepers in Luke 17 … “stood afar off”.
· “Would not SO MUCH AS raise his eyes to heaven”
- How humble. How contrite.
- Jesus is painting a picture.
- Know how you tell you children … look me in the eyes at tell me.
- The eyes reveal ….
HIS LISTENERS ARE SAYING NOR SHOULD HE RAISE HIS EYES!!!
He would be wearing the robe marking of a Roman employee.
- Rags to the onlooker.
“He beat his breast”
- WHY? Because he knows that herein lies my problem.
ILL/ Ever smack yourself on the head … “smarten up”.
- WHY? Because we know where the problem lies.
The Tax Collector knows his problem isn’t:
- Social standing, Intellectual shortcomings, Financial issues.
He beats his breast because he knows his great issue is an issue of the heart!
- An ungrateful heart. Hardened. Cold. Unyielding. Prideful. Sinful.
He does not come in declaring his positive side … thanking God how good he is … NO .. he comes beating his chest signifying there is something within that is terribly wrong.
The person having a heart attack may clutch their chest … the location of the pain and problem is obvious … THE LOCATION OF THE PROBLEM IS OBVIOUS TO THIS MAN AS WELL.
His Prayer:
God …………... To whom it is addressed.
Be merciful ….. Gods character.
To me ………… Gods grace.
The sinner …… His confession.
THE sinner: “devoted to sin, pre-imminently sinful, particularly wicked”
Not even the ‘repentant sinner … or the Praying sinner …”
Not even “a sinner like everyone else.”
Not even “I will do better ..”
I am not going to tell you what I am not BUT what I am. A SINNER NEEDING MERCY.
C. The Result. v.14.
Jesus says: “I TELL YOU ….”
- Jesus didn’t ask this crowd who was justified … why embarrass them.
- The Pharisee may have compared himself and found himself doing well but this is the only opinion that counts.
Like the millions who watch a game on TV and interact … the only call that counts is the referees! He makes the call.
This man went down to his house justified!
Not the one who came “THANKING” but the one who came humbly asking for mercy.
III. CONCLUSION
Now Pharisees and Tax collectors (per say) have gone off the scene.
- Certainly as examples of righteous and unrighteous.
- The temple is gone.
BUT, If I told you that Evangelist Billy Graham and Osama Bin Laden went to pray, you would be shocked if I told you that it was Bin Laden who left that prayer right with God and not Billy Graham. In a similar sense, it was shocking to Jesus audience to say that the evil tax-collector went home justified, while the Pharisee did not.
BUT this final phrase is the application of Jesus Himself and it remains applicable.
- “…. for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
True thanksgiving is birthed in true humility.
Oh maybe you are doing better than the rest of your family or friends.
Maybe you do follow the Bible and they don’t.
- SINCE WHEN ARE THEY YOUR EXAMPLE?
Luke 10:20 do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Today is thanksgiving.
What are you thankful for? Everything you have? Everything your are? Everything you are not?
- That’s a thanks BUT no thanks.
- I am not like …. The problem is God never asked him to be like others He told him he needs to be like Jesus!
The Pharisee came out of duty .. The tax collector came out of necessity.
· WHY DO YOU COME?
“There’s one thing for which you should be thankful for, and that is that only you and God have all the facts about yourself.”
A message of solemn warning: TO THE Proud, satisfied, condescending
A message of gracious encouragement: God listens to the repentant soul, God moves to the plea of mercy
Thank you Lord that you are merciful to me a sinner.
Thank you Lord for saving my soul.
