two men went up into the temple
to pray, the one a Pharisee, the other
a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank Thee that I'm not like other
men, I'm not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even as this publican I fast twice in the week, I give tithes
of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, thee sinner. That's what that is, that the
sinner. I tell you, this is our Lord speaking, I tell you, I
tell you, this man, the sinner, went down to his house justified,
forgiven, accepted, pardoned, saved, redeemed. Justified means
without sin. rather than the other. For everyone without exception
that exalted himself shall be abased. And he that by the grace
of God has the wisdom and understanding of sin and the fall and our identification
with Adam and our guilt and our deceitful hearts, he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted." Now if words have any meaning at
all for us, there's no reason to misunderstand this parable
of our Lord. The parable has a definite target. The Lord is aiming at one group
of people. It has a definite target. Verse
9 tells you to whom he's speaking. The arrow, the sword, is aimed
at the self-righteous. He says in verse 9, listen, and
he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that
they were righteous. They were not sinners. They were
not lost. They were not ungodly. They were
righteous. And this Pharisee was one of
those people. You see, those who trust in themselves
always justify themselves in their own minds. He said, I am
not as other men are. I'm not like other people. I'm
different. I'm more holy. I'm holier than
thou. I'm more righteous. And the self-righteous,
the men and women who trust in themselves that they're righteous,
they justify themselves in their own minds. They really believe
that. They're better than others. They're more holy. And more than
that, they justify themselves before God. Listen to what he
says. God, I thank you. I thank you that I'm not as other
men are. I thank you that I'm not a sinner. I'm not as others. And I thank
you God that I'm not. And then they not only justify
themselves in their own minds and even before God, but the self-righteous compare
themselves with others. I'm not like others. Now that's
fatal. When we go, when we begin to
compare ourselves with someone else, that's like one worm comparing
himself to another worm. I'm more beautiful than that
worm. That's dangerous. Let me show you a scripture over
in 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 10, verse 12. Paul said, people that compare
themselves with people are not wise. We need to compare ourselves
with the holiness of God. Isaiah said, I saw the Lord high
and lifted up. His train filled the temple.
And when I saw the Lord, I cried, woe is me. I'm a man of unclean
lips. Daniel said, when I saw the Lord,
my comeliness, my beauty melted into corruption. Job said, Lord,
I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear. Now mine eyes see
of thee, wherefore I hate myself. I repent in sackcloth and ashes. When we look at someone else
in our pride, and self-righteousness, we can find perhaps some reason
to glory. But when we look at God in His
holiness, infinite holiness, all we can do is fall on our
faces as dead men. Unclean, unclean. Listen to 2
Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 10, I'm sorry,
2 Corinthians 10 verse 12. But we dare not, we dare not
make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some
that commend themselves. But they measure themselves by
themselves and compare themselves among themselves. And they're
not wise, you see. And this man standing He was
justifying himself in his own mind, justifying himself before
God, and then comparing himself with a publican. And outwardly,
really, compared to this publican, I'll tell you a little bit about
publicans in a minute, he could come up in the eyes of men looking
pretty good. But we're not judged by men,
we're judged by God. And here's another thing about
the self-righteous. who compare themselves with others
and who trust in themselves that they're righteous. Look at verse
11 and 12. This man bases his holiness on
outward sins and outward duties. You remember when our Lord condemned
these Pharisees? He said, you're like whited supplicants,
graves, on the outside. You appear beautiful to men,
the lovely marble tombstones and the mound of earth covered
by the thick green grass and the flowers growing and it appears
so beautiful, but within, within, oh within, dead men's bones,
rotten, putrid, And he said, you clean the outside
of the cup, but the inside is fatal. And this man, he talks
about in verse 11, listen. Pharisee stood and prayed thus
with himself, God, I thank Thee I'm not as other men are. I'm
not an extortioner. I don't get gain under false
pretenses. I don't steal. and take advantage
of folks outwardly. Well, that's fine. And he said,
I'm not unjust, that is wicked, unjust in my dealings with others
outwardly. I'm not an adulterer. I'm married
to the same wife that I've been married to for years. And then
he begins to talk about what he, he's talking there about
what he didn't do outwardly. Now he talks about what he does
do, and it's all outward too. He said, I've passed twice in
a week. I give tithes of all that I possess,
no reference here to the mind, to the thoughts, to the imagination,
to the heart, to the covetousness and envy and pride and jealousy
and all of these things that live within us. You know, it's
not that which man puts in his mouth that defiles him, Christ
said, it's what comes out of his mouth. For out of the mouth
and out of the heart proceeds adulteries and fornications and
thefts and all of these things, out of evil thoughts. And hear
this, this is the way the self-righteous are, and this is the people our
Lord is speaking to. Verse 9 says, He spake this parable
unto certain which trusted in themselves. They justified themselves
in their own minds, justified themselves before God by their
works, their deeds. They compared themselves with
the notorious and the wicked. Thank you, I'm not like him.
And then they based their holiness on the outward. And listen, turn
to Luke 16. Back just a page or two. Verse
15, Luke 16, 15. Listen to this. And he said to
them, you are they which justify yourselves before me. But God
knows your hearts. He knows our hearts. He sees
our hearts. He looks not on the outward countenance. He looks on the And he sees not
just the deed, but the motive for the deed. He sees not just
the act, but the attitude. He sees not just the deed, but
the desire. He sees inside us. And listen,
and that which is highly esteemed among men, outward holiness,
outward honesty, outward morality, outward deeds, duties, is an abomination in the sight
of God. And I'll tell you something else
about people who justify themselves. Look at verse 9 again. And he
spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that
they were righteous and despised others. And despised others. I'll tell you The people who
are so self-righteous and outwardly moral and inwardly evil, they
despise others who are not as religious as they are, not as
righteous as they are, not as outwardly moral as they are.
You'll never meet a self-righteous person who is not critical of
other people. Always. They always are the most
critical people on earth. They enjoy pointing out another
person's weaknesses. Oh, they enjoy that. They enjoy
pointing out other people's failures. Oh, how delighted they are when
they find someone who fails. Someone whose children fail.
Someone who fails in this way or that way where they are so
successful, they love to point out the shortcomings of other
people. They delight in the fall of other people. They do, they
delight. Oh, they delight in another person's fall and failure. No one, no person, no woman or
man is as quick to judge, condemn, and criticize others as that
person who has a high opinion of himself. He's the most critical
person. He despises others. Well, you'd
think a man that's self-righteous would love others. No, they despise
others. You would think a man that would
fasted twice a week, gave alms, and didn't commit adultery, and
didn't steal, you'd think he'd love others. No, he hates others.
He loves himself. That's who he loves. He's the
object of his affection. You see, my friends, we need
the understanding of Richard Baxter. Richard Baxter one time
saw a drunk man. Richard Baxter, he was a great
preacher in England many years ago. Richard Baxter wrote that
book, The Saints' Everlasting Rest. And he saw a drunk man
staggering down the street, and this is what he said, as he watched
this drunk man making his way down the street. He said, there,
except for the grace of God, goes Richard Buxton. Can you
say that? Pick out any fallen, depraved,
wretched scum of the earth. And point your finger and say,
there, except for the grace of God, go I. That's true. The heart's deceitful, desperately
wicked. Who can know it? You see, my
friends, unbelief is a great sin. Unbelief is the father of
all sins. Unbelief is the damning sin.
Christ said of Israel, they could not enter in because of unbelief. Take heed, brethren, lest they
be found in you, the evil heart of unbelief. But I'll tell you,
a greater sin, because unbelief
has its roots in this sin, and that's self-righteousness. Self-righteousness. Let me show
you that. Unbelief has its roots in self-righteousness. I don't
come to Christ, believe on Christ, because I don't need Christ.
If I ever need Him, I'll quit my unbelief. If I ever become
lost, I won't be an unbeliever anymore. That's right. If I ever
become a sinner, I won't be an unbeliever. I'll be a believer.
That's right. Unbelief has its roots in self-righteousness. Turn to Matthew chapter 9. Let
me read this to you. Matthew chapter 9, verse 10. And here these same people represented
again, the Pharisee and the Publican. Verse 10, Matthew 9. It came
to pass. As Jesus said it, meet in the
house. You have the scripture, Matthew
9 verse 10. Behold, many publicans and sinners
came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees,
these religious, self-righteous people saw it, they said to his
disciples, why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? Why
does He eat with people like that? Why does He allow these people to sit in
His presence? It's like that Pharisee said
of our Lord when the woman bathed His feet with tears, the sinner,
and kissed His feet. That Pharisee was horrified. He said, if He were a prophet,
He would know what manner of woman this is that touches him. He wouldn't let her touch him.
The old Pharisee said, I wouldn't. And so he was eaten with these
people. Seriously, they wanted to know why. Why is he with them?
Listen. And when he heard it, the Lord
Jesus said to them, they that behold need not a physician. Well people don't need doctors.
Sick people. Now you go learn what that means.
I will have mercy and not sacrifice. I will have mercy and not Sabbath
keeping, sacrifices, holy days. I don't take delight in those
things. Those are but figures and types. But mercy is real. I am not come to call the righteous
or people who think they are. For there's none righteous, no
not one. I've come to call sinners, sinners. These men, you see their
unbelief had its roots in their self-righteousness. They didn't
need a savior. They didn't need a redeemer.
They didn't need a Messiah to save them by his blood. A man
will not be found who is not lost. A man will not be healed
who is not sick. A man will not be forgiven who
is not guilty. A man will not be raised who
is not dead. A man will not be exalted until
God brings him down. A man will not be clothed with
the righteousness of Christ until he is stripped. A man will not
come to the fountain until he is thirsty. A man will not come
to the bread of life But he can't find anything to eat anywhere
else. That's right. Salvations for sinners. Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Paul said, of whom
I'm the chief. I'm come, he said, to seek and
to save the lost. God commended his love toward
us in that why were we yet sinners? Christ died for us. Christ died
for the ungodly. And that's what he's talking
about here. He says, look at verse 10. He speaks this parable
to those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous. They despised others. Two men
went to the temple to pray. Two men. Both these men believed
in God. Both of these men believed there's
a God. Both of these men walked the same road to the house of
God. Both of these men engaged in a form of prayer, much like Cain and Abel. They
both came to worship. They both built an altar. They
both brought a sacrifice. Cain perished in his hatred and
evil and rebellion and Abel. God had respect to him and received
him. And here are two men. Both believe
in God. Both walk the same road to the
house of God. Both engage in a form of prayer.
But these two men, our Lord said, listen, verse 10, they're different
in character. They're different in reputation.
They're different in lifestyle. He said one was a Pharisee and
one was a publican. My friends, if you take the time
to read a Bible dictionary or something of that sort, they'll
give you the background of Pharisees and publicans. It's difficult to imagine a more
striking contrast in the eyes of these Jews than a Pharisee
and a publican. When our Lord said to these religious
people who trusted in themselves, now He's talking to folks who
feel like they're holy, that they know God, that they're God's
children, they're on their way to heaven, they fast and pray
and tithe and they're holier than thou, they're good people,
they're not like those publicans. And He said, a Pharisee and a
publican, that was so extreme, that was
so Such a contrast! It would be like saying today,
Bishop Sheen and Dennis Rodman went to the temple to pray. Now
that would just be the contrast. That's how far apart these men
were. That's right. You see, a Pharisee
was the most outwardly moral, strict, religious of all the
Jews. They wore their phylacteries
broad, they stood on the street corner and prayed and read scripture.
Solitarsus was a Pharisee, blameless he said. Outwardly these men lived by
the law, they observed the holy days, the righteous outwardly,
but they were mean as the devil. The publicans, what was a publican?
The publicans were especially hated by the Jews. The republicans
were Jews. who were traitors, who collected
taxes for the Roman government. That's who they were. The publicans,
Zacchaeus was a publican. These publicans were hated by
the Jews and they were classed with the harlots. Our Lord said
that one time. He said to the Pharisees, the
publicans and harlots enter heaven before you. That's how low down
the publicans were. He said one time, our Lord said,
if a man won't hear you and won't forgive you, let him be a publican
and a what? Heathen. So you know, he shocked his people.
But people have to be shocked into truth. They've got to be
told truth. You can't, you can't namby-pamby
and beat around the bush. Folks, you've got to be told
the truth. He said two men went to the temple to pray. One of
them was a Pharisee and one of them was a low-down publican. Boy, he got their attention.
And he says in verse 11, these men had different in their approach
to God. First of all, the Pharisee, he
stood. and prayed thus with himself."
First of all, this Pharisee evidently was familiar with the temple.
He'd been there many times. He made his way to the front.
You say, how do you know he went to the front? Well, down here
in verse 13 it says, the publicans stood afar off. He was afar off. The Pharisee felt like he belonged
there. He was right down there familiar. And the Pharisee evidently lifted
his hands to heaven. Because it says down here in
verse 13, the publican wouldn't lift his hands, he wouldn't even
lift his eyes. I can just see the Pharisee now
lifting holy hands. Scripture says something about
that. And standing. Back yonder is a public and he
won't lift his hands. He's got them smiting his chest
where his trouble is. Here's where my trouble is. My
trouble's in here, my heart, my nature, my spirit. The Pharisee prayed with himself. It's a selfish prayer, a self-centered
prayer, a self-glorifying prayer, which God would not hear and
God would not regard. But the publican cried unto God. The Pharisee prayed with himself
and the publican cried unto God. And the Pharisee talked about
what he had done and what he had not done. He talked about
what he was and what he was not. But let's look at the publicans
prayer. His short, but meaningful. The Pharisees prayer was four
or five times longer than the publicans. But the publicans
were short. But listen, meaningful, listen
to him. God, against whom I've sinned, God, Who will in no wise
clear the guilty? God. With whom there is mercy
and forgiveness? God. Who only can forgive? God. You're the one I need. You're the one I address. You're
the one to whom I come. God. The next line. Be merciful to me. Show mercy to me. You know what
he's saying? Be propitious. Be propitious
to me through the blood of the mercy seat. Let the blood on
the mercy seat cover my sins. That's what he's saying. God
be merciful. He's praying like David prayed
over here in Psalm 51. Turn over there and listen. God,
be merciful to me, be propitiated, be propitious unto me through
the blood of the mercy seat. David prayed in Psalm 51, have
mercy upon me, O God. According to your loving kindness,
according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out
my transgressions. Listen, wash me. How can you
be washed? Only in the blood. Wash me throughly
from mine iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. I acknowledge
my transgressions. My sin is ever before me. God,
against Thee, Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in
Thy sight, that You might be justified when You speak and
clear when You judge. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth
in the inward parts, in the hidden part. That's where the problem
is. That's what the Pharisee didn't know anything about. Thou
shalt make me to know wisdom. Now watch. Purge me with hyssop. What is hyssop? Go back to Exodus. You'll find hyssop, first time
it's mentioned in the Bible. When Moses told him to slay the
Passover lamb, roast it with fire, eat its flesh, catch its
blood in a basin, dip hyssop, a plant, hyssop, into the blood,
sprinkle it on the door. And when I see the blood, I'll
pass over here. That's what David's praying.
Purge me with blood. Cleanse me with blood. Put away
my sin by the blood of the Lamb. And this man over here in my
text, God, God, be merciful to me. And look at this next word, a
sinner. A sinner. Be merciful to me for
I am a sinner. In fact, most Bible scholars
believe he's saying I'm the sinner. I'm the sinner. Pardon is an
act of mercy. It's an act of mercy and it's
an act of justice. For there's no pardon except
God is satisfied when he satisfies his law and his justice by his
blood. All right, verse 14. Verse 10 says two men went up
to the temple to pray. Two men of different Characteristics
and lifestyle, but both sons of Adam, both sinners. One knew
it, one didn't. One bragged on himself, and one
cried for mercy. Two men went home. They departed
from the temple. Verse 14, I tell you, Christ
said, this man, who took his place before God as a helpless,
hopeless, hell-deserving sinner, went home justified. He sought
mercy and he found it, rather than the other. The Pharisee
came in full, confident, full of self-esteem, and he went out
empty, rejected of God. The publican came to the house
of God empty, poor, lost, defiled. He left full, rich, forgiven,
justified. The Pharisee justified himself
and God condemned him. The publican condemned himself and God forgave him. That will
tell us something, shouldn't it? That ought to tell us something. The Pharisee came in so full
of himself, and he left empty, cast off,
rejected. The publican came in empty, sinful,
cried to God, went out full of grace and mercy. The Pharisee
justified himself and God condemned him. The publican honestly, truthfully
condemned himself. If we judge ourselves, we'll
not be judged. You do the judging, God won't have to. But if you
don't, He will. God will meet you on the ground
you choose to stand on. If you choose to stand on your
religion, your fasting, and tithing, and outward holiness, and good
deeds, and the fact that you're not this, and not that, and not
the other, and not like other people, God will meet you there
at the judgment, and He'll deal with you in justice. You'll get
justice. It'll be equity and justice. But if you should, stand on their
ground. This man stood on, a sinner,
without God, without help, without hope, without ability to please
God in any shape, form or fashion, deserving of God. David said,
you are just when you condemn me. If you want to take your
place there and judge yourself, you go out justified, pleading
the blood of Christ. I'll show you a scripture and
I'll close. Job, Job, Job 33. Job 33. The Lord Jesus didn't die for
nice folks. He died for sinners. He didn't come into the world
to save people that had a little problem or two. He came to save
folks that were dead in sin, hopeless, helpless, could do
nothing. Job chapter 33 verse 27. Mark this, draw a circle around
it, read it frequently. He looketh upon men, and if any
say, I have sinned, and perverted that which is right, and it profiteth
me not. He will deliver his soul from
going into the pit, and his life shall see the light." My Lord
said that, and you can rest assured it's true. God be merciful. Let your blood be propitiation
for me on the mercy seat. Purge me with hyssop. the Senate
would hold justified.