Luke 18:9-14

1. The parable of "The Pharisee And The Publican" is found only in Luke's gospel.

2. The parable is clearly addressed to those who were self-righteous and held "others with contempt." (Lk. 18:9).

18:9 And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

1. The name "Pharisee" stood for one who was separated from others; although the origin of the name is disputed.

• This name was likely given them by others and not chosen by themselves.

• There were only about 6,000 Pharisees in Christ's day.

2. They insisted on the meticulous observance of the Mosaic law.

3. They regarded themselves as protectors of the law.

4. They added their own traditions to the law. (Matt. 15:1-9).

5. They believed in the resurrection and angels. (Acts 23:8).

6. Most were very corrupt. (Matt. 23:25-28).

• There were probably exceptions.

• Paul was an exception. (Phil. 3:5, 6).

7. The Pharisees were "men of prayer" and the Pharisee of this parable comes to the temple at the precise hour of prayer.

• He arrogantly enters the Court of Israel and draws near to the altar of burnt offering and sanctuary.

• He was proud of his righteousness.

1. These men collected taxes for the Roman government, which held the Jews in servitude.

2. The tax collectors could keep all the money they collected above what was due.

3. These men were hated because they collected taxes for the Romans and were notoriously dishonest. (Lk. 13:3).

4. This particular tax collector it would appear was not an exception, but he had come to repentance and was asking God's forgiveness.

18:10 "Two men went up [since temple was on hill] into the [court of the] temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.

1. The stated hours of prayer were 9 a.m. and 3 p.m..

2. Men could go there whenever they felt like it and pray privately.

3. The time for public prayer was 9 A.M. and 3 P.M..

18:11 "The Pharisee stood [likely in the Court of Israel] and was praying thus to [about] himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer.

1. Standing was a common posture in prayer. (Matt. 6:5; Mk. 11:25).

2. The Pharisee's words sound like a boast rather than a prayer.

3. There was nothing in his prayer but "I."

• It is a self-eulogy.

• His gratitude to God is for his own virtues, not for God's mercies to him.

• One of the rabbis offers a prayer like this of gratitude that he was in a class by himself because he was a Jew and not a Gentile, because he was a Pharisee and not of the common people, because he was a man and not a woman.

4. This is a prayer of imperfect goodness - thanking God for what he had not done.

5. The Pharisee eyes rove about until he see the tax collector and he quickly told God how much better he was than the tax collector.

6. Some observations about the Pharisee=s prayer.

• He did not seek pardon nor did he praise God.

• He did not seek divine strength or guidance.

• He didn't thank God for protecting him against the circumstances that might have led him to become a thief or an adulterer. See1 Cor. 10:13.

• He had no sense of guilt and had learned nothing from the penitential psalms. (Psa. 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 140).

• He did not pray for others, but exalted himself above others.

18:12 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'

1. The law only required fasting on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29,30). but the Pharisees fasted on Monday and Thursday.

• The two days of fasting mentioned in the Talmud are Monday and Thursday (Ta=am, 12a).

• A Afast@ would usually involve going without food or drink from sunrise to sunset.

2. The Pharisees tithed all their earnings even to petty things. (Matt. 23:23).

3. They tithed everything that came into their possession.

18:13 "But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away [from the Pharisee and sanctuary], was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'

1. "Beating his breast" was an expression of grief for sin.

2. The Pharisee looked upon others as sinners.

3. The words "the sinner" shows the tax collector thought of himself alone as "the sinner" or the worse of sinners.

4. He had no feelings of arrogance and self-righteousness. See Psalms 40:12; Ezra 9:6.

5. It was common to look up to heaven in prayer. (Mk. 6:41; 7:34; Jno. 11:41; 17:1; Psa. 123:1).

"I tell you, this man went down to his house [ left the temple for home] justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."

1. By the grace of God this man was "justified" by his attitude of godly sorrow and repentance.

2. The Pharisee was lost because of his self-righteous attitude.

3. See Luke 14:11; Matthew 23:12.

1. God wants us to pray. (Rom. 12:12; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17).

• We can pray at any time.

• It is not wrong to pray at set hours.

• It is not wrong if others see us pray as long as we do not pray to be seen of men (receive their praise). See Matthew 6:5,6.

2. He desires that we confess personal sin in prayer - not the sins of others.

3. He despises arrogance and self-righteousness. (Matt. 5:3; James 4:6; Proverbs 6:16-19).

4. We must all recognize that we are sinners. (Rom. 3:10,11,23; 1 Jno. 1:8,10).

• Some only look upon others as sinners.

• We must recognize that we are Athe sinner.@

• We rationalize our sins, but God knows all our sins and is not fooled by our rationalizations or denials.

• All sin leads to condemnation unless confessed. (Psa. 51: Lk. 11:4).

5. Sin is to be confessed to God - not man.

6. We must not trust in our own righteousness.

• We are saved by grace. (Eph. 2:5, 8-9).

• Our own righteousness is but filthy rags in the sight of God.

• Only the blood of Jesus can save us. (Isa. 53:4-6; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14).

• One can only boast in the Lord. (1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17).

7. One is not saved by just being religious.

• The Pharisees were very religious.

• They were still lost.

• One must humbly obey God to be saved. (Matt. 7:21; Lk. 6:46).