To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others:And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought:
4 sermons cite this verse
… or we're going to stand before God on the basis of the righteousness of another. These folks were confident in their own righteousness. And as a result, notice, they looked down on everybody else. So Jesus looks at this group, and he says, here they are, Mr. and Mrs. Smug and all his smug little children, doing all of these things and despising all these other people, just able to look down on them all. He says, let me tell you a story. Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The people, the listeners, loved these stories. They just must have waited for the punchline every time. It's so exciting. Here we go again. Jesus got another the Pharisee versus the sinner story. Wonderful. So next we have the Pharisee. He stood up, and he prayed, verse 11, about himself or to himself. God, I thank you that I'm not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector here. …
Look at verse 9. And he, that is Jesus, also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous and they viewed others with contempt. This parable was directed to a certain group of people, most probably the Pharisees. And notice what he says about the Pharisees. They were ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous. They based their righteousness on themselves and they looked down on others with contempt. That's always, by the way, a corollary of pride is looking down at other people. Jesus is going to tell us there are two ways to try to approach God. There are two ways to try to be in a right relationship with God. One way is based on your own inherent goodness. The other is based on God's grace. Now let's look at the story itself. Notice the two players in the parable, verse 10. Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax gatherer. …
… I understand that, but Jesus was righteous. Since I accepted Jesus, I received his righteousness. Jesus told a story one time in Luke 18, verse 9. You know where I'm going? to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee, that's the professional prayer, and the other, a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, God, I thank you that I am not like other people. What a start to a prayer. I thank you I'm not like other people. Robbers, evildoers, adulterers, Democrats, Republicans. Put whatever you want in there that's not you. That's what he's doing. I get to pray, and they don't get to pray. I get to come to God. They don't get to come to God. I get to have a relationship with God. They get to have a relationship with God. I get to be a preacher. They don't get to be a preacher. …
… Hear these words. He, that is Jesus, told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, but regarded others with contempt. two men jesus says went up to the temple to pray one of them was a pharisee and the other a tax collector the pharisee standing off by himself was praying thus oh god i thank you that i am not like the other people thieves rogues adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of my income. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, Jesus told them, that this man, this tax collector, went down to his home justified rather than the other. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves shall be exalted. Friends, this is the word of God for you, the people of God. …