Beware of Praying to Yourself About Yourself
Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: "God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, the sinner!" I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:10-14, NASB.
Nothing like praying to yourself about yourself! Of course, everything he said about himself was true. He did fast. He did meticulously give tithes. He was not like other men. And he certainly wasn't like that miserable, lowly tax collector.
All in all, the Pharisee was a good man. And he knew it. In his prayer he wanted to make sure that God also recognized it. So he offered a testimonial to his righteousness, his faithfulness to the church, and so on. He reminds one of Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai, who once said, "If there are only two righteous men in the world, I and my son are these two; and if there is only one, I am he!" In actuality, the Pharisee in the parable did not really go to pray but to inform God how good he was.
"But," William Barclay writes, "the question is not, 'Am I as good as my fellow men?' The question is, 'Am I as good as God?' " When we see ourselves next to God all a person can do is cry "God, be merciful to me--the sinner!"
That was the prayer of the tax collector. And note that he said "the sinner," rather that a sinner. He was acutely aware of his personal shortcomings and rebellions. From the depths of his fractured heart he gasped out his confession to God.
And here is the miracle of grace. It is not pride in our goodness, or even goodness itself, that counts with God. But rather an honest facing up to our lives in the light of His Word and character.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).
Take heed: "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others" (Like 18:9, RSV).
Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: "God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, the sinner!" I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:10-14, NASB.
Nothing like praying to yourself about yourself! Of course, everything he said about himself was true. He did fast. He did meticulously give tithes. He was not like other men. And he certainly wasn't like that miserable, lowly tax collector.
All in all, the Pharisee was a good man. And he knew it. In his prayer he wanted to make sure that God also recognized it. So he offered a testimonial to his righteousness, his faithfulness to the church, and so on. He reminds one of Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai, who once said, "If there are only two righteous men in the world, I and my son are these two; and if there is only one, I am he!" In actuality, the Pharisee in the parable did not really go to pray but to inform God how good he was.
"But," William Barclay writes, "the question is not, 'Am I as good as my fellow men?' The question is, 'Am I as good as God?' " When we see ourselves next to God all a person can do is cry "God, be merciful to me--the sinner!"
That was the prayer of the tax collector. And note that he said "the sinner," rather that a sinner. He was acutely aware of his personal shortcomings and rebellions. From the depths of his fractured heart he gasped out his confession to God.
And here is the miracle of grace. It is not pride in our goodness, or even goodness itself, that counts with God. But rather an honest facing up to our lives in the light of His Word and character.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).
Take heed: "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others" (Like 18:9, RSV).
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