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Sunday October 25, 1998
Luke 18:9-14

Focus Text: "But the tax collector, standing afar off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ' God be merciful to me, a sinner! ' " [18:13]

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Qualities of Faith

IV. Humility -   "Things are Looking Up for Those Who are Looking Down"
[ * See note below on approach for this sermon]

Have you ever known a bully to become a true champion?

"Big Rog" (Short for Roger) was a bully. He picked on the weakest guys and taunted the most timid girls. He was big enough to not really have a match in the group of boys he hung around with. His attitude was that of a mini-Mohammed Ali -- "I'm the greatest!" The boys coach at his school tried to channel his size and strength by suggesting the Golden Gloves competition. He jumped on the chance like a crow on a june bug. Three boys who agreed to spar with Rog quit after being knocked around as he ridiculed them with, "You can't fight me!  Your'e a cream puff! Hey twerp -- come and get some of this!" He bragged about how he was going to "cream 'em all" at the competition.

You will love the end of this story. "Big Rog" didn't make it out of the first match!  In fact, he didn't make it out of the first round of the first match! He was TKO'd with the mandatory "two knock-downs and you're out" rule in the first round. His opponent was smaller and quieter. Rog was quieter upon returning home from this experience.

Roger's problem was that he did not focus on his own worth and strengths, but on the deficiencies of others. His value rose only as he devalued those around him. He did not have genuine self esteem but rather an arrogance based on contempt for others.  Arrogance is a counterfeit of true self esteem which is best understood as the kind of love Jesus commended in Luke 10:27. ("Love the Lord your God...   and your neighbor as yourself")

*****

Jesus tells a wonderful story in our gospel lesson today about a very religious, self-righteous person who who looked at others with contempt. In his disdain for those he considered unworthy, he had become a kind of spiritual bully. If you were to draw a cartoon like portrayal of this episode, the caption might be:

Danger! Warning! Your relationship with God has nothing to do with how terrible other people are!!

There is a contrast in the story between two powerfully charged spiritual concepts. The one is humility and the other hubris. Hubris means "an exagerrated or inflated sense of self-importance".¹   It is not the same as pride. (There is the good sense of proud, like -- "Mommy is so proud of you" -- to a child with the intent of building a proper sense of esteem for one's self).  But hubris might best be understood as "deadly spiritual pride".

Here's a working definition of humility from a spiritual perspective. Humility is a realistic assessment of who I am....   in the eyes of God!  Did you catch that last phrase? It's what makes this statement work. Without the last phrase, the statement is simply another expression of the secular world's view. A realistic assessment of who I am could be a rehearsal of all my good qualities...  which are so much better, of course, than those of so many people you see on TV and read about in the papers these days. But when I add that last phrase, there is a whole new dimension added. "In the eyes of God." Not in my own eyes, or my mom's eyes but, in God's eyes.

Ask the question.  Try it out...

Who am I...   in God's eyes?

Isn't that a humility inducing question? Of all the qualities we have been looking at this month, this one is at the heart of christian living. The beginning of an authentic spiritual life is to connect with who we are -- in the eyes of God. The remainder (or the journey) of christian living is to stay in touch with who we can become -- with the help of God.

Humility is the foundation of spiritual vitality. Hubris lies at the center of spiritual deadness.

*****

Look with me at how this works in Jesus' parable as we explore the story through: 1. The Eyes of the Pharisee,  2) The Eyes of the tax collector, and  3) The Eyes of God.

1. The Eyes of the Pharisee  (Hubris)

Luke's language suggests that the Pharisee was not so much praying to God as he was talking to himself -- about himself!   He was so filled with himself he could not do otherwise.

Have you ever noticed that about some people?  When they talk, it isn't so much conversation with you or your group -- it's just another opportunity to tell you how great they are or what a wonderfully intelligent child they have.  If you were to later quiz them about what others said during the time you were together, they wouldn't have the foggiest idea. When you are filled with self, there is no room for others - including God!

The Pharisee is filled with himself. He begins his conversation with himself -- ( he is not aware that he is not actually praying ) -- by looking at how terrible other people are. He is not a thief or a crook.  In fact he is not even like...  "...this tax collector".    The Pharisee is trapped in the old "I'm not as bad as" syndrome. He considers himself good because he sees others as bad. "I am a good guy," he reasons, "because of all the bad guys I see."  Not only that -- I attend church every week, I tithe my income down to my bingo winnings and I serve on committees even when I'd rather not."

Hubris.  The fellow is filled with self. The tragedy is, he is so religious and so impressed with his religiosity, there is no room for a relationship with God! He is, Jesus says, praying "to himself" or "with himself". The tragedy of the pharisee's hubris is that the thing he values most and counts on most for his realationship with God -- namely his religiosity -- is the thing that cuts him off from God. He is proud of that which is his undoing.

The eyes of the Pharisee are looking around at others for the flaws and upward to heaven for congratulations.

2) The Eyes of the Tax Collector (Humility)

The story of the tax collector is quite clear. There is no pretence. He knows who he is. Not in his own eyes, but in the eyes of God. He feels unworthy and dares not look up -- as though to heaven.  In looking downward, he shows the attitude of humility. Indeed, the word humility itself comes from "humus" [latin for earth].  He knows that it is God's mercy he needs. If there is hope, it will come from beyond himself and so he gains the righteousness of God.

The eyes of the tax collector do not look around at others. He has somehow gotten in touch with his sin and now looks to the earth from whence he came. Unable to offer anything of his own righteousness, he can only throw himself on the mercy of God and thus finds the shortest distance between hopelessness and salvation -- the grace of God.

// Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who came to the gates of heaven to be greeted by St. Peter. Peter asks the man if he can give a brief history of his life with an emphasis on the good deeds he had done in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven. "You will need 1000 points to be admitted," Peter tells the man.

"This will be a cinch," the man thinks to himself, "I've been involved in church from the days of my youth."  Then he begins to list his activities for Peter. He was an officer in his youth group, served in every possible position he could as a youngster. Was on the Church Council and every committee the church had to offer. His list was extensive.

"Very impressive," Peter smiles at the man.  An angel standing with them also smiled and nodded as he tallied the points and then whispered in Peter's ear.  Peter tells the man, "This is quite striking -- we seldom see men of your very good works.   You will be pleased to know that you have 327 points!  Is there anything else you can think of?"

The poor soul breaks into a cold sweat and begins to reach deep for every single act of kindness he could think of.  He listed them as the angel scratched furiously on his angelic clip board and nodded his head in admiration.  Peter looks at the clip board and says, "This is quite exceptional!  You now have a total of 402 points.  Can you think of anything else?"

The distressed guy strives to recall good deeds -- like the time he helped a little old lady across the street.  He finally arrives at a grand total of 431 points and cries out...   "I am sunk!  There is no hope for me!  What more could I have done?   O Lord, all I can do is beg for your mercy!"

"THAT," exclaims Peter, "Is a thousand points!" //

So also, the tax collector in Jesus' parable finds his hope in the grace and mercy of God.

3) The Eyes of God

There is something we need to understand about this story Jesus told.

The  tax collector is not a nice guy. It is hard for we twentieth century people to understand the impact of the parable.  It is as though your neighbor was an IRS agent who came to you and said, "I happpen to know you won $1000 in the lottery and didn't turn it in as income. Unless you give me a hundred dollars, I'm going to get you audited." These New Testament tax collectors were Jews who took positions as workers for the Roman tax system.   They collected taxes and whatever else they could squeeze out of their victims.

On the other hand, the Pharisee of the New Testament has frequently received a bad rap.  Actually, Pharisees would make great neighbors.  They would certainly not cause your property values to drop.   They were moral, upstanding, very religious people who felt it necessary to separate themselves from the sinful world around them.²

The parable is a radical statement about the nature of grace. It is hard for people who depend on thier own goodness to gain God's approval to hear. To depend 100% on the grace of God is to admit that I bring nothing that impresses God to the extent that I have earned God's favor and God's life!  There is never a time when I could come out on the good side of going to God and demanding, "I want what's coming to me!"

In the eyes of God, the tax collector returns to his home with the grace of God as his hope.  The Pharisee heads home with the same old attitude -- ready for another week of collecting "points."

[Apply It]

1. Bruce Larson reported a remark someone made to him in his commentary on luke, "Larson... you judge other people by their actions and yourself by your intentions. If you could reverse that, it would change your life."  Does this in any sense fit you?  [The Communicator's Commentary: Word; Vol.3, Luke, Bruce Larson]

2. Looking at your life as God sees your life -- where do you most need God's grace?

3. Here's a tough question.   Is there anything of the Pharisee in you?

* Note: Although this is a straightforward parable with a simple point, its subject goes to the heart of grace and justification. You approach to this text will be dependent in part on how well versed you feel your people are in the concepts of righteousness, justification, faith  and grace. In some congregations, "justification by faith through grace" is almost a byword.   For others many people have the basic sense that God will judge on a bell curve and on average, most of us should fare okay in the judgment. Your focus will depend on where your people are -- No one, however,  will be free from the danger of hubris -- deadly spiritual pride. Some people, for instance are so "proud" they are saved by grace and not by works they are in danger of regarding  the pharisee with contempt. The point is, we don't "regard others" with anything -- we are looking at our own life in the presence of God.

Notes on the Text

¹ "Hubris" fr. Gk. "hybris" An exaggerated sense of importance.  Hubris which finally leads to misfortune or to one's undoing.

² Phariseeism initially met the need for a group who would separate themselves from the encroaching Hellenism of the day.  As with all well-meaning movements which turn sour, this movement eventually turned into obnoxious self-righteousness on the part of many. (Not all -- there were those like Nicodemus [John 3:1ff]  and Gamaliel  [Acts 5:34] who were sincere seekers of the righteousness of God.)

v.9 The parable needs little interpretation -- only exposition.  Jesus himself sets the stage by saying the parable is about people who "trusted in themselves that they were   righteousness".  And there's the rub -- it is trust in God not self that saves.  It is the righteousness of God we need. "Self-righteousness" is a contradiction in terms if it be true that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23)  [ I Ki.8:48 in Solomon's prayer]  "...for there is no one who does not sin..."

"regarded others with contempt"  contempt = "exouthenoow" also "despised" or "to consider as nothing"   Contemporary meaning along the line of...  "they thought others to be nobody"

v.11 The NRSV likely misses the boat by translating "stratheis tauta pros heauto proseucheto"  Standing by himself was praying thus..."  More likely is the NASB "was praying thus to himself"  (Also KJV)  The NIV translates this, "stood up and prayed about himself".   Quite literally this is, "The Pharisee standing these things to himself prayed." The construction would give weight to the sense that the Pharisee was not genuinely praying to God, but was in conversation with himself. (His spiritual pride / hubris cuts him off from authentic relationship with God)

v.14 The tax collector is prominent in Luke at the outcast who receives the grace of God. (5:12, 27; 7:34, 37; 15:1-2; 16:20)

Jesus' hearers, unlike we moderns, would think that it was the pious Pharisee who deserved acceptance by God, while the tax collector should be cast out of God's presence. The story is a radical declaration of the grace of God.

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