Scripture:

Luke 18:11-13　The Pharisee stood and prayed these things to himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be propitiated to me, the sinner!

I. Two men praying:

  1. In terms of action, this passage of the Scriptures is not talking about two different people doing two things, such as a good person committing a sin or a bad person not committing a sin. No, the two were praying and were drawing close to God.
  2. Their actions were the same, but the persons were different, and their positions were also different. One was a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee represented a high-ranking person, and the tax collector, a despised person.

II. A self-righteous man:

  1. The self-righteous man was the Pharisee. He was self-righteous not before his audience but before God. Because of self-righteousness he was saying, “I am not like other people. I am not like my colleague who is sitting in front of me. I am not like my classmate who is sitting beside me. I am not like the professor living next door.”
  2. The Pharisee represents both of these two groups of people, the religious people and the moral people. He fasted twice a week and gave tithes. These are religious matters. He was neither an adulterer nor an extortioner. These are moral matters.
  3. The Pharisees are false religionists and false moralists.

III.  A humble man:

  1. Describe the way that the tax collector prayed. He stood at a distance and dared not lift up his eyes to heaven but beat his breast, saying, “God, be propitiated to me, the sinner!”
  2. TNearly all the immoral, sinful people have a humble feeling.

IV. The results of self-righteousness and self-abasing:

  1. The one who humbled himself was justified. Humbling oneself is not a virtue but a confession that affords God a chance to grant His mercy.
  2. The self-righteous one was condemned, because self-righteousness shuts off God’s mercy.
  3. Christ has accomplished redemption. A man who humbles himself and believes in Christ shall be justified. A man who is self-righteous and unbelieving shall be condemned.