"How Are We Right In God's Sight?"

Sermon on Luke 18: 9 - 14

Saint Mark's, Watertown

Pastor Karl Walther

March 18, 2001

Introduction: Whom Shall We Choose As Christian Role Models?

The Scriptures declare regarding Jesus: He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Amen.

Dear fellow Christians-- who are right in God's sight:

Have you ever considered the importance of role models? Have you ever considered how much -- consciously or unconsciously -- you have patterned your life after other people?

I'll give you just a couple examples from my own life. I am the Dad that my Dad was, and my kids can be thankful for that-- because I know I'd do a whole lot worse on my own. Very largely my marriage is a blend between my parents' marriage and the marriage of the parents of my wife-- for better or for worse, they are our role models to this day. Your pastors are (in many ways) the sum total of all the pastors, all the teachers, and all the professors we have had; plus, we influence each other-- I guess as role models, if you will.

Role models really are that important. And it gets me to thinking: Who are our Christian role models these days?

Well, if you want to think internationally, I suppose the most famous man who suggests himself as a Christian role model is Karol Wojtyla, currently the Bishop of Rome, whom a lot of people know as Pope John Paul the Second. He's especially revered for crusading across the world to promote human rights. The most famous recent woman to suggest herself as a Christian role model is probably Mother Teresa. Before she died, she was especially revered for her work among the sick and dying on the streets of Calcutta, India.

Those are the Christian role models today, aren't they? And by way of contrast, surely no one would suggest as a Christian role model a guy like Ted Bundy-- you know, that perverted rapist and murderer who was put to death in Florida those several years back. No one would suggest as a Christian role model a guy like Jeffrey Dahmer-- you know, that homosexual pervert and murderer from Milwaukee who died in a Wisconsin prison some years back. No one would suggest them as Christian role models, would they?

Theme: It Depends On the Question: "How Are We Right In God's Sight?"

Well, that depends, I guess. It depends on the answer to the question: HOW ARE WE RIGHT IN GOD'S SIGHT? God's Word to us today urges us to take up that question: "How are we right in God's sight?" And as we do so, we might just be surprised at the sort of guy Jesus Christ holds up as a role model for the people of his day-- and for us....

Part One: The Pharisee Wrongly Exalted Himself

God's Word to us today is the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector-- in Luke chapter eighteen, verses nine through fourteen. A parable, you'll recall, is any story Jesus told in order to illustrate some spiritual truth. Jesus happened to tell this parable some months before his death, while he was on his way to Jerusalem.

And it goes this way: To some who were confident of their own righteousness -- they were sure they were good enough, in and of themselves, to be right in God's sight -- To some who were confident of their own righteousness and so-- looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable

He said: "Two men went up to the temple courts to pray-- maybe at the time of prayer, at three in the afternoon, or maybe on some special occasion. Jesus continues: one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

Now, let me tell you about these Pharisees. The Pharisees of Jesus' day were not the professional church workers. They were the upstanding, scrupulously religious lay people. Very often they were businessmen. These men took the Bible seriously. In fact, they even took the learned rabbis' commentaries on the Bible so seriously that they considered them to be God's Word, too. All of this set them apart from other people. In fact, the word "Pharisee" means "separated one". The Pharisees' way of pleasing God was strictly to obey him. And in so doing, they were sure they were garnering for themselves a special measure of God's glory.

The long and the short of it is this.... The Pharisees were considered to be the good Christian role models of their day. If you had a son, you'd be proud for him to grow up to be a Pharisee. If you had a little girl, you hoped she'd marry a Pharisee.

Well, Jesus says: The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector.' "Lord -- thank you! -- I have separated myself from the sins of this world" is what he was saying. Furthermore: 'I fast twice a week -- every Tuesday and every Friday, praying specially to God -- and give a tenth of all I get'"-- down to the very smallest seeds in the garden. "So, Lord, not only have I separated myself from the sins of this world, but I am the epitome of service toward you."

What a guy! But what does Jesus say about him? Jesus issues the damning condemnation: "This man did not go home right in God's sight.... Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled." If a Roman chariot ran over this Pharisee on the dusty highway leading out of Jerusalem, and so if he died on his way home, he went to eternal torment of hell forever....

Application One: We Cannot Be Confident Of Our Own Righteousness

Why? Well you see, this Pharisee had substituted his opinion for God's opinion. It stood to reason that if the Pharisee behaved better than others, God would have to reward him, right?

But what did God say in his Old Testament Word-- the Bible the Pharisee was supposed to have read? Be holy, as I the Lord your God am holy.... The soul that sins is the one that will die.... And what did God's Old Testament prophets confess? We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.... Even all our righteous acts are like filthy rags....

So, this Pharisee should have known that his greed made him a robber at heart, that his impatience made him a murderer at heart, that his lust made him an adulterer at heart -- and that God sees what's in a person's sinful heart.

So, my friend, what about you? Are you hoping for heaven because you've tried hard? Are you hoping for heaven because you're better than others? Are you confident you've been a good enough spouse, a good enough parent, a good enough student, a good enough worker, a good enough Christian to earn you glory? Take a look at your greed! Take a look at your impatience! Take a look at your lust! You're not right in God's sight in the condition you're in!

And don't take the Pharisee as your Christian role model!

Part Two: The Tax Collector Rightly Humbled Himself

Then of course, there was the other guy. He was a tax collector. Let me tell you about tax collectors in Jesus' day. You and I are not fond of tax collectors in our day and age. They take our money. Yes, sometimes they even confiscate our money. But tax collectors back at Jesus' time were even worse. What happened was this. The tax collector said to the foreign Roman government, "I will get you a million shekels of revenue out of Jerusalem." Then the tax collector would collect two million shekels, give the oppressive Roman government one million, and pocket the other million shekels for himself.

The long and the short of it is this.... Tax collectors in Jesus' day were both cheats and traitors. They were considered the very worst role models of their day. If you had a son, you prayed he would not turn into a tax collector. If you had a little girl, you prayed she wouldn't marry a tax collector.

Well, Jesus says that this particular "tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but kept striking his chest and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'" "Lord, I'm hopelessly sinful. You are bountifully merciful. Your kindness is my only hope." That's what he was saying.

And what was Jesus' verdict? "I tell you that this man, the tax collector, rather than the other, the Pharisee, went home justified before God-- and justified means "right in God's sight". The tax collector was right in God's sight. If a thief had robbed and killed him on the way home, he would have gone to the eternal pleasure of heaven forever.

Why? Jesus explains: "Everyone who exalts himself -- touting his own spiritual achievements -- will be humbled -- in hell -- and he who humbles himself -- quietly confessing his sinfulness and quietly confessing his confidence in Christ -- will be exalted" -- in heavenly glory.

Application Two: We Need To Be Confident Of Christ's Righteousness

Why? Well you see, this tax collector had taken seriously what God said. He knew he couldn't stand up under the anger of God's wrath over his sins. But he also knew God was merciful. He knew God had mercifully promised a Savior when Adam and Eve had sinned. He knew God had mercifully provided a son to his ancestor Abraham in his old age, to continue the line of the Savior. This tax collector knew God had mercifully delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt through the blood of the passover lamb. He knew God had mercifully forgiven King David: even adultery, even murder. And so, the tax collector himself was made bold to beg the Savior's mercy.

And don't you have even more reason to do so? Doesn't this Lenten Season assure you of your forgiveness? Were not your lusts taken off your shoulders and laid on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? Were not your blasphemies forgiven when he was accused by the Jewish leaders? Was not your selfishness taken from you and laid on him in his trials before Pontius Pilate? Did he not suffer to forgive your greed?

...My friend: Jesus died for all your sins! Confess them-- and confide in him! In this way, take the tax collector as your Christian role model!

Conclusion: Our Christian Role Models Are the Tax Collector-- & Christ!

So, who is our Christian role model today? Is it Mother Teresa? You know, I spent about a half an hour on the internet this past week reading quotes from Mother Teresa. I found lots of nice quotes on how we need to love each other, lots of expressions of seeing Christ in other people, and quite a few idolatrous prayers to the Virgin Mary. But I found no expression from Mother Teresa like, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Who is our Christian role model today? Is it John Paul the Second? I didn't have to spend a half an hour researching him.... He says, and I quote: "Human nature has not been totally corrupted.... We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him.... I declare this to be a sure norm for teaching the faith...." In other words, "Don't sweat sin. Love the Lord and each other. That's good enough for God." It's Pharisaism all over again. There's no "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" there.

Now on the other hand, I mentioned earlier Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer-- evil men, perverts, murderers. Nevertheless, they were the men who -- so the reports tell us -- said from their prison cells, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." If we are right in God's sight by such a confession -- by confidence in Christ -- then it's actually those men who are the right role models for us.

They are the right role models for our lips, anyway. Of course, I'd like to suggest a different role model for our lives. How about Jesus Christ himself? Kids: how about obeying your Moms and Dads the way Jesus obeyed his Dad-- strictly and perfectly? Students: how about studying your subjects the way Jesus studied the Scriptures-- holy and diligently? Parents: how about parenting your children the way Jesus parented his apostles-- strictly and perfectly? Workers: how about executing your labors the way Jesus worked for others-- holy and diligently?

And Christians: how about following Jesus wholeheartedly? All the more importantly: How about trusting in him to elevate you to glory? Amen.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Amen.