Who is justified before God? The
world exalts itself always. The world boasts of its achievements regardless of
the failures and disappointments. The Book of Revelation reveals an unbelievable
truth at the close of the book, “Let the one who does wrong continue to do
wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right
continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” (Revelation
22:11) Our Lord Jesus teaches in a small parable who are justified before God. The
Pharisee is offering his prayers with his own righteousness and exaltation,
looking down on everyone and thinking that he is not like the tax collector
because he fasts regularly and gives a tithe. But the tax collector offers his short
prayer with a few words at a distance without looking up to heaven to have
mercy on him, a sinner. Jesus tells that the tax collector goes home justified
before God, not the Pharisee. Our Lord Jesus sees and knows the heart of man
and does not show any favoritism based on what they do even with the tremendous
dedication and commitment but how they do. God is spirit and searches
worshipers who come to him in truth and in spirit. God knows and sees our
heart, the real motive of coming to him. He never rejects anyone who comes in a
broken and contrite heart and asks his pity. He welcomes and clothes them with the
belt of righteousness so that they can stand before the throne of grace in
boldness and confidence for Christ is defending the humble with his blood.
“To some who were confident of
their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I
am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax
collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax
collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat
his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this
man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who
exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
exalted.’” (Luke 18:9-14)
The parable is given to those
who are confident of their own righteousness and look down on everyone else by
our Lord Jesus. Who are these? Jesus explains who they are in the parable? The
man who was a Pharisee stood by himself and prayed with the words of flattering
and boasting himself. It wasn’t a prayer at all. The man never knows God who he
is and what he is, nor does himself. He thinks that he is better than other
people like robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. It
may be true in the light of the world. It may be acceptable and reasonable to
think that way in the wisdom of the world. But it is not true with God. Apostle
Paul says in the Epistle to the Colossians, “Anyone who does wrong will be
repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.” (Colossians 3:25) And he
says in the Epistle to the Romans that there is no one righteous, not even one
in the sight of God. This is what the Scripture says over and over again that
the human race is lost and fallen in Adam and has no way out in the world.
“There is no one righteous, not
even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All
have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does
good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice
deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing
and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their
ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before
their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)
The fallen race has been doomed
and locked in the dungeon of the devil’s hole until they are made righteous and
holy in Christ Jesus. That’s the beginning of understanding what they are and
who they are and why they are in truth and reality. God provided a way out of
the power of darkness through the death of the Son Jesus Christ for anyone who
believes in him. God is light and in him there is no darkness. He shines the
light to reveal the truth, dispelling the darkness and illusions away. He has
given the means to be known and revealed the truth. They are the Scripture, the
nature, the body, the laws, the diseases, the sufferings, the present, the
future, life, death, and many others.
The Scriptures never says like
what the man in the parable said. There is no favoritism by blood and descent,
religion, or even commitment and dedication, says the Scriptures. No one can
judge others because their measurements are not complete and perfect at all but
biased and crooked. What they see and know is very much limited and incomplete
and even what they are sure of can be inaccurate and wrong. It is true that we
do not know ourselves what we are and why we are. It was well demonstrated at
the Last Supper when our Lord Jesus announced a shocking news that one of his
disciples would betray him. Then, they were very sad and began to say to him
one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord.?” (Matthew 26:21-22) So,
Apostle Paul says in the Epistle to the Corinthians so pertinently that he
would not even judge himself, nor would he care little if he were judged by the
world.
“I care very little if I am
judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.” (1
Corinthians 4:3)
So, the man in the parable
prayed probably with the right posture religiously and piously, but he did it
pointlessly and aimlessly. It is not the prayer offering which God desires his
children to bring before him. He is the man who is confident of his own
righteousness and looks down on everyone else. He boasted of fasting twice a
week and giving a tenth of all. It may be perfectly acceptable to God but is
not determined by the man who offered but by God who is the Lord of all. No
matter how much dedication and commitment with regular fasting and giving they
make, God is not pleased with them unless without a broken and contrite heart
(Psalm 51:17). God knows and sees the heart of worshipers that he must be
worshiped in truth and in spirit for he is spirit (John 4:24).
But in the parable there is the
other man, a tax collector, who stood at a distance. He would not even look up
to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He
is the man who has a few words but the very words worthy of being accepted by
the God of holiness and righteousness. That’s the words we all humans can
speak, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” That’s what Adam and Eve told to God
in the Garden. Both accepted the fact that they ate the forbidden fruit, saying
“I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13) That’s what a prodigal son said to his father when
he returned home, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.” (Luke 15:21) There is an eternal
promise by God that he is faithful and just and forgive us if we confess our
sins.
“If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Listen to what our Lord Jesus
concludes, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home
justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those
who humble themselves will be exalted.” Jesus says that the tax collector went
home justified before God. It is exactly what God promised in the Scriptures.
"God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble," says the
Scripture (James 4:6). God endures in his long-suffering the sins and
transgressions of humanity unpunished until they admit and repent of their
wrongdoings and evil deeds before him (Romans 3:25). The marvelous love of God
was well demonstrated in the Son's crucifixion on a cross where he paid the
ransom payment for the sin of the world in full. The crucifixion of Jesus
Christ eternally displays and exposes all the sins and transgressions of
mankind in public. That's where we're supposed to be crucified and in fact by
faith we're crucified with Christ for the wages of sin is death. And that's the
only way to come to the Father for the blood of Christ cleanses and washes away
the sin of the world. Our Lord Jesus was punished and forsaken and humiliated in
our place in order to disarm the force of the devil once for all. By his wounds
and scars we are healed and forgiven for he is our propitiation forever. The
cross of our Lord Jesus is the way to triumphal victory for no death of the
Son, no forgiveness of sins.
“And having disarmed the powers
and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by
the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
Our Lord Jesus said the people
to repent for the kingdom of heaven was near. Jesus came to give the kingdom
that is invisible and yet much more real and true to those who humbly receive
the gift of faith in him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are
the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) God
blesses those who are humble and poor in spirit with the glorious kingdom of
heaven. Who are the poor in spirit? They are the ones who know and understand
that they are not worthy of coming to the Father by themselves like the tax
collector did in the parable. They are the ones who just ask mercy and pity to
the Lord because they are deeply troubled and distressed by their transgressions
and sins and the love of God is drawing to him right there.
How do we know that we are
wretched sinners? It is by his grace and mercy because no one can come to the
Father unless he draws them (John 6:44). God is light and shines it out of
darkness. Out of distress and dissatisfaction in the midst, some see the light
of God. Out of misery and emptiness in the midst, some open their heart and see
the light of God. Listening to the words of God, some see the great light in
Jesus Christ. In the midst of desperate failures and downfalls, some look up to
heaven for the mercy of God and receive the light of the world, Jesus Christ. Brewing
the hatred and murderous threat in ignorance and unbelief, some are caught by
the light of God like Apostle Paul. In the midst humdrum lives like fishing or
collecting the tax, some are invited to follow the Lord of light like Peter and
Matthew.
When we reach the point of humiliation
and poverty in spirit, the hand of the Lord is right there to rescue and
restore us to rest in him and even more abundantly. Peter walked on the water
by listening to the words of Jesus but began to sink because he was afraid of
the wind and waters. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached
out his hand and caught him and walked together on the water to the boat
(Matthew 14:29-30). Peter had nothing to do with his own might and experience,
but to say, “Lord, save me!” Some lepers cried out in a loud voice, “Jesus,
Master, have pity on us!” Jesus’ compassionate heart went to them who were
healed and cleansed on the way to the priests (Luke 17:14-15).
Prayer: Our merciful and
faithful Father in heaven, once again thank you for teaching us the truth that
you oppose the proud and show the favor to the humble now and forevermore. May
God help us to come unto you with a broken and a contrite heart and ask for
your pity. In Christ’s name. Amen.
August 8, 2016
© 2015-2016 David
Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
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