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IF JESUS LIVED TODAY
HOW WOULD HE HANDLE SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
(Luke 18:10-14; Gal. 6:3-5)
(Delivered 6-23-02)

A wonderful cartoon shows a princess in her crown and beautiful
robe, talking to a prince decked out in a uniform. She looks
disgusted, and with her hands on her hips, says, "I think I
liked you better as a frog!"

There's a lot of truth in that. Most of us find that people
with their humanity showing are more desirable than those who
appear to be so perfect. "Self-righteousness" and "Holier than
Thou" attitudes turn us off. Too many people sing: "Amazing
grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like . . . YOU!"
That's wrong!

Jesus constantly encouraged us to be realistic and
non-judgmental. Self-righteousness is deadly. It never helps
us and it always hurts others. Macaulay described it this way:
"I am right and you are wrong. Therefore, when you are in
control, you must tolerate me, for it is your duty to tolerate
truth; but when I am in control I shall persecute you, for it is
my duty to persecute error."

Once, when Jesus' audience included many who felt so righteous
and viewed others with such contempt, he told a story about two
people who exemplify arrogance and humility. He said."Two men
went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a
tax-gatherer" (Luke 18:9-10).

Now, these particular individuals represented the best and the
worst in that society. Pharisees were extremely religious and
extremely moral. They were upright citizens and loyal
worshipers. The tax collectors, or Publicans, on the other
hand, were despised as henchmen of the hated Romans. They were
seen as traitors and law-breakers. But Jesus gave a strange
twist to his description. He said, "The Pharisee stood and was
praying thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like
other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this
tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I
get" (Luke 18:11-12).

This Pharisee was a real "religious egotist." Not only that, he
deprecated others. He was proud and "stood apart" from ordinary
worshipers. He didn't mingle with "sinners." The Scripture
says "He prayed thus with himself, saying, I...I...I...I. There
were no expressions of intercession or gratitude or confession.
Jesus despised self-righteousness and egotism. He said,
"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their
phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they
love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats
in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces
and to have men call them `Rabbi. " Matt. 23:5-7).

These people would stand out on the street corner broadcasting
the amount of their offering. Imagine someone jumping up in
church and saying, "Hey, everybody! Look how much I'm putting
in the plate today."

They would gather crowds to hear their unending
"holier-than-thou" prayers. They fasted publicly. Can't you
just hear them saying, "I haven't had anything to eat all day.
No, thank you, I'm fasting!"

Also they were pious-talkers and cliche-users. Jesus called it
"vain repetition." Those mindless words and phrases shouted
over and over again. We still have a lot of religious jargon.
People say, "Praise the Lord!" "Amen, and amen!" and "Blessed
Jesus!" whether it makes any sense or not. These may sound like
"spiritual" phrases, but, years of overuse have made them
meaningless.

The Publican was different. The Scripture says, "The
tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling
to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast,
saying, ' God, be merciful to me, the sinner! " (Luke 18:13).

The Publican's prayer was much shorter and much simpler. In
fact it contained only seven words, but Jesus said, "I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other;
for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who
humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18:14).

Why do you suppose Jesus contrasted the Publican and the
Pharisee so dramatically? What lessons can we learn from this
parable? What point was he making about "self-righteousness?"

I. FIRST, HE WAS ADVOCATING EMOTIONAL HONESTY.

The Publican was aware of his own sins and sincere in admitting
his flaws. But the Pharisee was in denial. He only mentioned
his strengths, not his weaknesses. We know he had faults
because Paul said, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God" (Rom. 3:23).

A recent bumper sticker read, "Christians aren't perfect."
Sometimes it 's hard to convince people of that. Many continue
to be shocked and outraged when a Christian makes a human
mistake. But John said, "If we claim to be without sin, we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8).

II. NEXT, JESUS WAS FORBIDDING NEGATIVE COMPARISONS.

The Publican wasn't critical of fellow worshipers. He gave no
excuses and he assigned no blame. He was praying to God. But
the Pharisee was too busy justifying himself and judging others
to worship God.

That kind of pride is a sin. It consists of comparing our
strengths to other people's weaknesses. Isn't it interesting
that the Pharisee compared himself to a lowly Publican instead
of Abraham or Moses? We seem to always notice those who are
worse than us, not those who are better than us. Paul said,
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on
someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are
condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same
things" (Rom. 2:1).

III. FINALLY, JESUS WAS INSISTING ON PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY.

We can't change other people. Furthermore, we're not
responsible for their problems. Nowhere does the Bible tell us
you must fix others and pay for their sins. Instead, it says
the opposite. "Fathers shall not be put to death for their
children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is
to die for his own sins" (II Kings 14:6).

The Publican was concerned about his own spiritual condition
and his own self-improvement. But the Pharisee was only
interested in pointing fingers. An unknown poet must have known
a Pharisee when he wrote,

I'm a sinner, oh Lord, and I know it

I'm weak, I blunder, I fail.

I'm tossed in life's stormy ocean

Like ships in the midst of a gale.

I'm willing to trust in your mercy;

To keep the commandments you taught.

But deliver me, Lord, from the judgment

Of saints who have never been caught.

Paul had a warning for such people. "If you think you are
standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (I Cor. 10:12).
Now, what if this were today? If Jesus was telling a modern
story, would he compare the worship practices of a prostitute
and a missionary? Would he contrast the attitudes of an HIV
sufferer and an evangelist? Would he reveal the inner motives
of an alcoholic and a church leader?

We don't know for sure who he would use in his illustration.
But we do know he would look beneath the surface. He wouldn't
evaluate by superficial words and actions. Even though Jesus
would be dealing with different races and occupations, if he
lived in America today instead of Palestine 2000 years ago, he
would still emphasize certain principles.

1. FIRST, JESUS WOULD REQUIRE EMOTIONAL HONESTY.

He said God doesn't look at the outside. He looks inwardly and
so must we. "He said to them, "You are those who justify
yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for
that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the
sight of God" (Luke 16:15).

All of us have a tendency to fool ourselves by thinking we act
from one motive when we're really acting from a different one.
This is called rationalization. But, it's not just our pious
words or our charitable deeds that count. It's our attitudes
and our motives. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will
see God" (Matt. 5:8).

2. NEXT, JESUS WOULD FORBID NEGATIVE COMPARISONS.

In modern language, the Pharisee might say, "Boy, I'm glad I'm
not a Muslim or a humanist, or even like that guy in the next
pew. Lord, I'm just about perfect." Paul was speaking of that
kind of person when he said, "Where, then, is boasting? It is
excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No,
but on that of faith" (Rom. 3:27) or "It is not the one who
commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord
commends" (II Cor. 10:18).

But Jesus wouldn't want us to go to the other extreme by
demeaning and condemning ourselves, feeling ashamed and quitting
isn't helpful. Forbes Robinson expressed a better attitude. He
said, "To help a brother up the mountain while you yourself are
only just able to keep your foothold, to struggle through the
mist hand in hand-that surely is better than to stand at the
summit and beckon to others to climb to the top."

We are all brothers in the flesh, so it's not profitable or
appropriate to compare ourselves to others.

3. FINALLY, JESUS WOULD INSIST ON PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

In very blunt terms, he spoke to this issue: "For in the same
way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure
you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the
speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to
the plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of
your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your
brother's eye" (Matt. 7:2-5).

One counselor said, "Through the years, hundreds of people have
sat across the desk from me and recounted, at length, what
others are doing to them. They give detailed descriptions of
their miserable circumstances. But not one person has ever
asked, "What am I doing to others?" Not one has asked, "What am
I doing to the people I work with? What am I doing to my
church? What am I doing to my wife? What am I doing to my
husband?"

We really begin to grow up as Christians when we realize that
the roots of most of our problems are not in our families, or
our friends, or our business associates. Instead, most of the
roots of our problems are within us.

Now, if we're to take the Gospel seriously, what does this mean
for us?

Remember the Scripture says, "Whoever claims to live in him must
walk as Jesus did" (I John 2:6).

If Jesus lived today he would not be a pious-self-righteous
snob. He was never known for his pedantic moralistic behavior.
Instead, he was known for his compassion. He even broke
religious laws in order to help hurting people.

According to legend, a famous Bible scholar appeared at the
Pearly Gates seeking admission. "I don't see your name on my
list," said St. Peter.

"Oh, it must be there," the man replied. "I'm the one who wrote
all those religious books."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid they're not recorded."

"But, I'm the one who delivered those popular lectures on
spirituality," the man continued. But St. Peter just shook his
head.
Shoulders drooping, the scholar turned and began to walk away.
Suddenly, St. Peter's face brightened. "Wait a minute," he
called after him. "Are you the fellow who built those
birdhouses and put out seed for the birds every winter?"

"Why, yes, that's me," the man answered.

"Oh, then forgive me," said St. Peter. "Of course we have a
place for you."

The point of this little myth about rewards is that great deeds
done for show are worthless; but small acts of kindness done for
love are rewarded.

Do you worship sincerely and personally? Jesus did!

Do you avoid comparing yourself to others? Jesus did!

Do you deal with your own issues? Jesus did!

Francis Bacon said, "A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a
saint." A religion which encourages you to parade your
self-righteousness before others is a "turn-off."

******

(Word Count: 2050)

Next Scheduled EmSS: 7-1-02

These messages are from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted
by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. Please use them in
any way you think appropriate. The only thing we ask is that
you give credit for original material in published works.

EMAIL SERMON SERVICE is a free service from Diversity Press.
Material in our sermons usually present the Gospel from a
non-Fundamentalist, psychological point of view.

My ministry has been blessed immeasurably by reading other
people's sermons. When I started preaching 54 years ago, I
waited for "inspiration" before I began my sermon preparation
(usually Saturday night, about midnight). Then, I discovered it
wasn't inspiration at all-it was sheer PANIC. I would have
welcomed this service.

Miles Wesner