Sermon: Two Men

22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 2010

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

Luke 18:9-17

 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

I don’t know about you, but I will be glad when all these political advertisements come to an end next month. I am tired of hearing about how this candidate is better then that candidate, because of all the bad things that the other candidate has done. Now I realize that is the way things are done in the secular world. But what about when such mud slinging happens in the church. What about when Christians go before God trying to gain His approval and vote.

 

In today’s gospel text, we are taught to be genuine and humble Christians. Genuine Christians cling to the righteousness of Jesus that is given to them by grace alone. Humble Christians acknowledge their deficiencies to God. On the other hand, pseudo Christians boast in their own righteousness. Prideful Christians tell God just how good they are. We are warned against self-righteousness and treating others with contempt. We are learning to keep these attitudes in check. Our concern is not about how genuine another Christian is; rather, we are to concern ourselves with our own lives to confirm that we are genuine. Our concern is not about the outward actions and appearances of other Christians; rather, we are to concern ourselves with our own actions and appearances that we display to others.

 

Today’s parable was given to those who trusted in themselves and treated others with contempt. They were justifying themselves in their own eyes. They were declaring themselves righteous based upon their own righteous deeds. At the same time they were declaring others unrighteous based upon their unrighteous deeds. In order to teach this lesson, Jesus our blessed Savior tells a parable about two different men and how they both stand before God. One sees himself in good standing and the other stands convicted.

 

In our Old Testament lesson, we also hear of two men who stand before God. Abel offers his sacrifice in faith and Cain does not. Based upon the outward appearance we see both men display a piety toward God. But, God judges the heart. God does not see the outward actions apart from the heart. With faith, evil actions are not counted against a man for they were counted against Christ on the cross. With faith, good actions begin to materialize. Without faith, good actions are not seen by God as good. They are tainted with sin. Without faith, all evil actions are counted against a man.

 

In today’s parable, two men offer prayers to God. One offers in pride and the other offers in humility. Again, by the outward appearance both men are acting piously toward God. In fact, the Pharisee comes across as very pious. He prayed a prayer of thanksgiving to God making it clear that he was not like other men who were extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even a tax collector. He refrained from such ruling sins. In addition, he had the positive characteristics of a righteous man. He fasted twice a week and even gave a tithe of all that he receives. On the other hand, the tax collector, well all that we know is that he is a tax collector. 

 

Now in our day and age, we have heard this parable multiple times and we quickly jump to the conclusion. We know that as soon as we hear about a Pharisee in the parable, he is not the one we will want to emulate. We swiftly assume the Pharisee is the bad one and the tax collector is the good one. But keep in mind that is not the way that the original audience would have heard the parable. They would have thought to themselves… …ah the Pharisee…   …he is the good one and the tax collector is going to get the what for. You see, the Pharisees were known for their piety and their spirituality. 

 

In our day, it would be more like saying that there were two men, one was a conservative Christian and the other was a liberal politician. Again, it would be like saying that one was a Lutheran pastor and the other a used car salesman. In this way, we might jump to the assumption that the conservative Christian or the Lutheran pastor would be the good guy while the liberal politician or the used car salesman would be the bad guy in the parable.

 

With that frame work in mind, let’s look at the two men. The Pharisee, the conservative Christian, the Lutheran pastor, went before the presence of God and prayed. He prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. But, what was he thankful for? He was thankful that he was not like other men. It is as if he had prayed, “I thank you God that I am a conservative Christian… …a Lutheran pastor.” He was not like other men who were extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, and tax collectors. 

 

In essence, he is not listing his own sins, but rather the sins of others. It would be as if we had thanked God at the start of the Divine Service by saying, “We thank you God that we are not like others who sin against you in thought, word, and deed. We thank you that we are not like others who have not loved You as they should and have not loved us as they should. They justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment.” Or it would be as if you were more concerned about what the person next to you has done or not done rightly. Or it would be as if you were more concerned about the person who did not come to the Divine Service.

 

See this is what self-justification does. It makes one right in one’s own sight. In this way, the individual focuses on the short comings of others in order to make himself stand taller before God. This is looking at others with contempt. As they say, “the one-eyed jack rules as king in the land of the blind.” As long as you can magnify the sins of others, then you can minimize your own sins to the point in which they seem to be non-existent. It would be like trying to compare yourself to a three-month old infant and boasting how much better you are. You can walk and talk. You can use a computer and drive a car. Yet Jesus warns us from excluding infants from the kingdom. Unless we “receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Luke 18:16-17, ESV)

 

After focusing on the actions of others, the Pharisee, the conservative Christian, the Lutheran pastor, then draws attention to his own actions. He informs God that he has fasted twice a week and gives a tithe of all that he gets. In essence he is praising himself before God. Rather than declaring the wonderful things that God has done for him, he tells God what he has done for Him.

 

In this parable, the Lord warns us so that we do not become arrogant and prideful. Instead, he teaches us to pray like the tax collector who “would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13, ESV) Here the tax collector, the liberal politician, the used car salesman, is not concerned about the sins of others. He does not treat the Pharisee with contempt. He is focused on his owns sins and his need for mercy. He does not praise himself telling the Lord about all the wonderful things that he has done for the kingdom of God. No, he shamefully declares his unrighteousness. His focus is on God’s action. He requires God’s mercy and trusts that God is merciful.

 

Jesus says, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14, ESV) The one who is justified, that is declared righteous by God, is the tax collector. He is not justified based upon the righteous things that he has done; rather, he is justified based upon the righteous things that Christ has done. Jesus humbled Himself becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him.

 

In our baptism, we are united with Christ. We have received the kingdom. His obedience is declared to be our obedience. We humbly draw before God confessing our sin and asking for mercy for the sake of Christ. In Him, we have been highly exalted. From Christ we are learning to humble ourselves. Humility does not brag about being more pious, more religious, more spiritual, or more righteous than others. Humility does not try to win God’s vote. We do not need to campaign with God. He has already voted for us and our election is promised in the gospel. For the sake of Christ, your sins are forgiven. You have been justified, that is declared righteous in God’s sight. Amen.