Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous in themselves, and treated others with contempt: (Luke 18:9)
When you were a child, did you know anyone that, when you said a bad or mean word, they said, “We do not talk like that.”
As Christians gathered here, our Lord tells this parable of two men who go up to pray, He is telling us who we are and who we are not.
We are not those who trust in ourselves.
We are not those who consider ourselves righteous in ourselves.
We are not those who treat others with contempt. We do not look down on others.
That is not who we are. That is now how we act. That is not how we talk.
We are not this first man:
Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. (Luke 18:10-12)
We are not ones who compare ourselves with others. We recognize that when we play the compare game, we will be tempted to put others down.
We do not define others by their sin: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, the divorced, the gossipers, the greedy, the angry, the lazy, the neglectful of their families, the druggies, the alcoholics, the gays.
We recognize sin as sin, yes!
But we define ourselves and others as created by God, the Father, died for and redeemed by God, the Son, and invited into the family of God, the Christian Church, and the communion of saints, with the promise of the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting by God the Holy Spirit.
Others might define themselves by their choices and actions, but we don’t talk like that! We define others by God’s choices and actions for them.
By that, then, we don’t boast of our goodness. Of the good that we do and accomplish, we say “God, I thank you…” to the One who said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” And we don’t worry about if others hear about it or not, see it or not, know it or not, for we know the Father who sees in secret will reward us in whatever way He will choose.
One final thing we recognize: we recognize this Pharisee as one who knows some truths. He knows it’s good to not be an extortioner, but instead works hard and honest and is generous.
He knows it’s not good to be unjust.
He knows it’s not good to be an adulterer, but instead tries to be faithful to his marriage and family.
He knows it’s good to tithe. Learn from him! Jesus will say:
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. (Luke 11:42)
The problem with the tax collector is not that he’s doing some good, it’s that he thinks he’s good enough. That is not how we talk or think because it leads to all sorts of problems, including trusting in ourselves that we are righteous in ourselves, and treating others with contempt.
So, who are we, then?
We are this man:
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
We recognize that our sin can separate us from God and other – standing far off.
We recognize that if God was only just, we should not lift up our eyes to heaven because we would see an angry Judge.
We beat our breast and recognize the depth of sin that comes from our heart. If the lust stays in the heart and doesn’t spill forth into adultery, pornography or crude talk, God be praised! But, look in here!
If the greed stays in the heart and doesn’t spill out in stinginess and worry of giving to the Church and others, God be praised! But look in here!
If the anger stays in the heart and doesn’t spill out in words and deeds, God be praised! But look in here!
But, we do not define ourselves but what is in here – but by what is in the heart of God, who created and preserves us, redeemed us by the blood of Jesus, and invites us into the family and heart of God through the Christian Church, the communion of saints, and the promise of the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
God – because we know who God is and where God is – present here to listen
Be merciful to me - because He is, was, and will be. To you,
a sinner.
The word, be merciful, doesn’t capture what is being said by the tax collector. The word, hilsthetei, means mercy seat. “Be my mercy seat, O God!” he is saying.
That brings us to the picture in your bulletin.
That little box is the arc of the covenant. In it, among other things, is the 10 commandments. The things we should do! The things the people of old should have done!
But above the arc, in between the two angels, the cherubim, the Lord promised to dwell in mercy, He promised to sit there to bless, not curse, forgive, not condemn. And there, you see the high priest once a year, after sacrificing an animal, would place blood on.
The blood would cover the breaking of the law.
The blood would atone for the sins of people and bring the peace of God.
The blood would cover their shame and bring the mercy and blessings of God.
We say, “Cover our shame with your blood! Forgive my sins! Be for me in time of guilt, death, and suffering, for if God is for me, who can be against me!
This man, Jesus says, went home justified! And so do you. For that is who we are and that is what we as the Christian Church have promised to us.