Friday, January 5, 2007
"Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess." And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted' " (Luke 18:9-14).
IDEA: One way to diagnose self-righteousness is by how you regard other people.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be aware of the danger of self-righteousness.
Have you met many religious people who admit they are “self-righteous”?
How would you define self-righteousness?
Do you think it is easier to detect in other people or in yourself?
How might you detect it in yourself?
Jesus gives us a workable lead in the way He introduces the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Listen to how Luke introduces the story.
Note: “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.”
I. How would you evaluate the contribution of the Pharisee and the tax collector to their community?
Do you think the Pharisee lied when he mentioned his positive contributions in his prayer?
Which of the two would have made a better neighbor?
Which of the two would have contributed more to the church?
II. What was really wrong with the Pharisee praying, “I thank you that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax gatherer”?
We sometimes say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I!” Is that self-righteousness at work?
How do you diagnose self-righteousness?
III. The fault of the Pharisee was not self-respect. It was self-righteousness.
How did the Pharisee get his feeling of self-worth?
When you listen to the prayers of the two men, what are the standards against which they measure themselves?
What is the difference in looking down or looking up to determine how righteous we are?