GOD
BE MERCIFUL TO ME, THE SINNER
Luke 18:9-14; I Timothy 1:12-17
Introduction
1. Luke
often highlights social outcasts as recipients of God’s grace (5:12, 27; 7:34,
37; 15:1-2; 16:20).
2. In
Luke 18:9-14 a tax collector (publican), one of the most maligned members of
society, was forgiven, but a Pharisee, a leader of the religious establishment,
was condemned.
3. In
Jesus’ day, such a thing would have been unthinkable.
4. Today,
conditioned by Bible teachings, we would find it difficult to accept that a
Pharisee would be forgiven.
5. Saul
of Tarsus, however, reminds us that Pharisees were also forgiven.
6. The
forgiveness of both the publican and Paul develop points that are critical to
understanding the nature of God’s grace.
I. The
Pharisee And The Publican (Lk. 18:9-14).
A. This
parable is about the total unacceptability of self-righteousness (v.9).
1. The
Pharisees were commonly regarded by Jesus as being involved in a “detestable”
system of false values (Lk. 16:14-15).
a. They
were, therefore, much in the business of justifying themselves in the sight of
men (Lk. 10:29; 18:9, 14).
b. God,
however, gave them no such justification (Mk. 7:5-8).
c. Their
being “lovers of money” betrayed their hearts (Matt. 6:19-21).
d. The
Pharisees made up their own rules so they could be sure they won their game.
e. They
learned, however, that religion is not a game and that only God’s rules count.
2. Self-righteousness
is perhaps the greatest of all self-imposed curses.
a. It
“blinds” through pride (Jn. 9:40-41; Matt. 23:29-31; cf. Matt. 6:22-23).
b. It
makes a person look extremely foolish (Matt. 7:1-5; 23:27-28).
c. It
renders religious actions vain (Mk. 7:7).
d. It
causes others to reject God (Rom. 2:23-24).
e. Even
from the God who Personifies love (I Jn. 4:8), it earns stinging condemnations
(Matt; 23:1-36).
B. The
publican presents us with an interesting contrast to self-righteousness.
1. This
contrast will be disturbing to whatever of self-righteousness abides in us.
a. Prejudice
fails to see the possibilities God sees (Acts 2:21; 11:1-3).
b. Outward
appearances can easily become “the” standard of who is acceptable (I Sam.
16:6-7; Jas. 2:1-6).
c. Self-righteousness
misjudges the true preaching of grace and thinks it to encourage sin (Rom. 3:8;
cf. Rom. 6:1-2).
d. To
look good in comparison to others, the Pharisees felt the need to require of
sinners more than God required (Matt. 23:4; 11:28-30; Mk. 7:1-13).
e. To
keep their circle small, Phariseeism allows no room for growth, it accepts only
immediate completeness (Matt. 28:20; Eph. 4:17-32; I Cor. 1:1-3; II Cor.
13:1-2).
f. The
publican, however, though short on all the above Pharisaic standards, found
grace to go away forgiven!
g. The
Pharisee, though possessing a perfect score on his own ugly little test, went
away condemned, a stranger to grace!
2. “God
be merciful to me, the
(Gk.) sinner!”
a. There
is an awareness here that must be found in a sinner’s heart if grace is to be
found (Ps. 51:4; II Sam. 12:13).
b. The
“receptive” hearts on Pentecost (Acts 2:41) were “pierced” hearts (v. 37).
c. The
“Messianic” prophet, Isaiah, was an “undone” man (Isa. 6:1-5).
d. The
Pharisee, Paul, was of this same spirit (I Tim. 1:12-17; Acts 9:8-9).
e. The
beginning of receiving grace is found in a healthy poverty of spirit (Matt.
5:3).
f. We
bring nothing to God to lay claim to salvation—NOTHING (cf. Rom. 4:1-5).
g. Our
best deeds are like “a filthy garment” (Isa. 64:6).
h. I am “the” sinner, there is
hope for me in looking for someone worse than me, no relative righteousness.
i. Either
I am sinless, or I have no hope—and I am sinful (Rom. 3:23; Job 9:30-35).
II. The
Pharisee And The Apostle (I Tim. 1:12-17).
A. Paul
had been a great Pharisee (Gal. 1:11-14; Phil. 3:4-6).
B. But
Paul had a problem he could not solve (Rom. 7:7-25).
1. Try as
he might, and he tried mightily, he could not find comfort (vv. 14-24).
2. Though
he acted “with a perfectly good conscience” (Acts 23:1), not violating his
conscience did not mean that his spirit found peace.
3. The
outward emphasis of the Pharisees had a flaw that Paul discovered in the tenth
commandment—“You shall not covet” (Ex. 20:17; Rom. 7:7-11).
a. The
hearts of all who do not completely sell out to self-righteousness are unable
to find comfort in self alone.
b. Only
those who “sear” their inner sensitivity regarding their sins can live
comfortably with self-righteousness.
C. But
Paul found the cure (Rom. 7:25-8:4)!
1. He
came to realize that he had nothing of worth to give to God (Phil. 3:7-11).
2. In
giving up everything, he found true gain (Matt. 10:39; II Tim. 4:7-8).
3. He
found the “umpire” Job sought Who could put His hand on both God and man (Job
9:33; I Tim. 2:5).
4. In
Jesus, not in boastful works of righteousness, Paul found grace (Rom. 3:21-31;
Gal. 3:26-27).
a. He
learned that the merit of salvation was accomplished in Jesus.
b. He
further saw that works that promoted boasting had nothing to do with salvation.
c. He
understood that the true fulfillment of law was not found in being good enough,
but in letting the law guide the imperfect, yet faithful heart of one who knew
no hope outside of the Christ.
Conclusion
1. An
humility that transcends pride, prejudice, and all that has to do with
self-righteousness, is required of all who would find grace.
2. God be
merciful to me, the
sinner!
ESJ
1/23/00
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