The Wrong Way To Try To Impress God Series

THE WRONG WAY TO TRY TO IMPRESS GOD: We will not be justified by our resume but by our repentance.

- Luke 18:9-14.

- There are a variety of ways that we could classify the Pharisee and the tax collector. I’m going to choose a way that I hope is memorable: the Pharisee is trying to be justified by his resume and the tax collector is only bringing a spirit of repentance.

- Let’s start with the Pharisee.

- In vv. 11-12 the Pharisee lists out what all he’s doing to be right before God. In other words, he is detailing his religious resume.

- Think of a HR director sitting down with a potential hire. The candidate has listed on his resume all the impressive things that he has done. “I see you were promoted three times at your last company.” “I see you graduated Magna Cum Laude on both your college degrees.” “I see your division doubled their profit year-to-year.” The resume makes the case “Here is why I deserve this.”

- A word that comes to mind here is “deserve.” I deserve this job because I am the most impressive candidate.

- The tax collector, on the other hand, has no impressive resume to offer. He knows he is not in good shape before the Lord. He knows his life has fallen short.

- Note that it says he “stood at a distance.” We might just presume that came from a sense of shortcoming, but it was also part of the Temple regulations. A tax collector was not allowed into the inner parts of the Temple.

- He knows he’s in bad shape, so he just pleads for mercy. He is showing a sense of repentance. That is, “I know I don’t measure up. I know I fall short. I can’t earn my way into your good graces.”

- This way, Jesus tells us, is the superior way.

- One major distinction between the two is the point of reference.

- The Pharisee makes it abundantly clear that his point of reference is those around him, especially the tax collector.

- Verse 11 - “I am not like other men . . . or even like this tax collector.”

- This is a common approach that people use to having a sense of spiritual superiority. There is always someone we can look to who is not measuring up to the standards we have created.

- “I go to church every week and they don’t.”

- “I would never commit a crime and they did.”

- “I work hard at my job and they don’t.”

- “I read the Bible sometimes and they don’t.”

- Now, of course, we tend to pick people to compare ourselves with where we are confident we can come out looking good.

- This is closely related to the 51% approach. That is, people think that we just have to do more good than bad. As long as 51% of what I do and think is good (or at least not explicitly evil) then I’m ok. I’m ahead of the curve.

- In all this, the point of reference is those around me. This generally leaves us feeling pretty good about ourselves.

- On the other hand, the tax collector knows he falls short. All he can ask for is mercy with a spirit of repentance.

- This points us toward those who don’t compare themselves with those around them but with God.

- God has a perfect standard. He is without shortcomings. He does not sin.

- If I am comparing myself to those around me, I can feel pretty good. If I am comparing myself to God, I know how far short I fall. These are two wildly different approaches. And, according to Jesus, only one works.

- Another interesting detail in this story concerns the Pharisee’s prayer.

- Verse 11 tells us that the Pharisee stood up and prayed “about himself.” Although I don’t want to put too much weight on it, it’s interesting that the word translated “about” can also be translated “to.” In other words, that could also be translated that he “prayed to himself.”

- That captures my attention because it speaks to a reality that I think is often present in Pharisaical religion. Often people in that self-centered religion aren’t necessarily even praying to God. They’re just talking to themselves. They’re pumping themselves up. They aren’t asking for God to really come in and reveal all their shortcomings. They aren’t really interested in hearing from God. They’re talking to themselves. It’s an internal admiration club.

- Let’s talk for a minute about why you should not be confident in your own righteousness.

- Let me share four reasons.

a. As I’ve previously stated, God’s standard is perfection.