Coming Down to Go Up
Luke 18:9-14
Have you ever been in the company of someone who was all wrapped up in self? (What a small package) If so you know first hand how disappointing it is to share the same space. I believe that there are times when we as creatures place more trust in the creature than we do in the creator. We become more concerned with our ability to make it than the one who made us. (God) As believers in Jesus Christ, we should not have room in our life for arrogance and pride. When one becomes self-righteous he depends more on himself than God. In our biblical narrative today we see two men praying. One is arrogant; the other one is humble. One is inflated with pride; the other is deflated with humility. One was proud of himself; the other one was disappointed in himself. Charles Spurgeon trained many young preachers. On one occasion a student stepped up to preach with great confidence but failed miserably. He came down, humbled and meek. Spurgeon told him, “If you had gone up as you came down, you would have come down as you went up.” If humility precedes an event, then confidence may follow. Jesus shares this parable to help us to understand that in life we must humble ourselves if we expect to go up. He shows us in this parable two men praying. He demonstrates for us the proper way to achieve obtainable positions and goals in life. We can’t help but to notice the posture and pageantry of the two men praying. Let’s examine the prayer of the first man mentioned. He had positioned himself as a high-ranking religious leader. He was called a Pharisee. He was among the brightest of the brightest when it came to religious matters, he understood religious protocol. He had learned the law and was familiar with customary (traditional) prayer and times of worship. His posture was visible and extremely arrogant. He had developed an independent and self-righteous disposition. His pomp was seen and heard by all in attendance. Man cannot save himself and therefore it makes no sense to trust in ourselves. Whenever we find ourselves thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, God reminds us that we were made out of dirt and rescued from sin. This religious man, the Pharisee, the man who was both respected and honored by men could not get pass himself. The Pharisee was praying with himself about himself. What he considered to be prayer was nothing but bragging, self-congratulations. His prayer rose no higher than the beautiful roof of the building in which it was prayed. The Pharisee had established his own righteousness and could only plead what he was not, what he did, and how much better he was than others. His prayer starts out informing God that he was not as other men were. Listen as I give you a remix of his prayer. God, I thank you that the world has people like me. The man on the corner needs welfare and food stamps, I don’t. The prostitute on the street has AIDS, I don’t. The drunk at the club needs alcohol , I don’t. The gay caucus needs morality, I don’t. In the Pharisee’s prayer, we find no reason for us to believe that he believe that he needed God. No feeling that he owed God, no thanksgiving for what God had done for him or given him. No word of praise. It is a sad day when our prayers consist of no gratitude to or adoration for God. No praise, no confession, no request for anything. It is disappointing to see and hear people who speak of their accomplishment without making reference to the one who made it possible (God). The Pharisee asked for nothing, confessed nothing, received nothing and in my personal opinion said nothing. He was religious, he was a tither and he fasted more than the law required, but he was lost. He was lost not because of what he did not do. He did not place his trust in God, he was self-reliant and not God reliant. Man cannot save or keep himself. The other man in prayer understood how to go up. The publican, tax collector understood that if he was going to go up he had to come down.
1. The first thing that had to come down was his attitude. So many people could do more in life if they had the proper attitude. Folk with bad attitudes give those around them bad attitudes. Be aware of those around you, their attitudes are contagious. The publican had the right attitude. His attitude is reflected in his stand. He stood afar off. He saw himself as not being worthy to stand up close. Always be suspicious of those who always want to be seen and heard up close. When your attitude is right, God hears your prayer and not your words. The Pharisee had a 34 word prayer compared to a 2 word prayer of the publican. It’s not how much you say, it what you say that matters. Touch somebody and say work on your attitude.
2. Secondly, in order to go up you must be humble. When we become sin conscious we will develop a humble disposition. None of us today have anything to brag on apart from our savior. We are guilty and shame faced when we truly see ourselves. The publican was too sinful to be lifted up in pride. He was in need of serious help. When you need help, it humbles you. Whenever you have to depend on someone else for something you need, you are humble in their presence. The publican prayed because he was humble. He was grateful and he was not too proud to admit his shortcoming. Humility teaches us how to say, I’m sorry, I was wrong or I am wrong. Forgive me, I’m not always right, I make mistakes and I need help from God to make it. The publican was too broken to look up to heaven, the publican bowed and prayed. God have mercy on me. (Withhold from me what I deserve as punishment). Like my brother on welfare, I’m dependent on your grace. Like my brother with AIDS, I’m infected with sin and mistakes. Like my friends who drink, I need something to ease my pain. And as you give direction to those who are lost, include some directions for me also. Have mercy on me.
3. We must also stop pretending to possess what we do not profess or posses. The Pharisee professed a righteousness that he did not possess. The publican did not proclaim to have something that he did not have. It’s wrong and misleading to go through life pretending to have something or be someone that you are not. Be who you are. Be the best you can be. You don’t have to pretend to be up when you are down. The longer you pretend the longer you miss out on God’s blessing for your life. You don’t have to pretend to be well when you are sick. You don’t have to pretend to high when you are low. You don’t have to pretend to be my friend. I know you are an enemy. You don’t have to pretend to care; I know you don’t give a (blank) about me. You don’t have to pretend to be sinless. I know that you are really sinning less. Stop pretending. Be for real. Pray the prayer. LORD HAVE MERCY ON ME.
Have you ever been in the company of someone who was all wrapped up in self? (What a small package) If so you know first hand how disappointing it is to share the same space. I believe that there are times when we as creatures place more trust in the creature than we do in the creator. We become more concerned with our ability to make it than the one who made us. (God) As believers in Jesus Christ, we should not have room in our life for arrogance and pride. When one becomes self-righteous he depends more on himself than God. In our biblical narrative today we see two men praying. One is arrogant; the other one is humble. One is inflated with pride; the other is deflated with humility. One was proud of himself; the other one was disappointed in himself. Charles Spurgeon trained many young preachers. On one occasion a student stepped up to preach with great confidence but failed miserably. He came down, humbled and meek. Spurgeon told him, “If you had gone up as you came down, you would have come down as you went up.” If humility precedes an event, then confidence may follow. Jesus shares this parable to help us to understand that in life we must humble ourselves if we expect to go up. He shows us in this parable two men praying. He demonstrates for us the proper way to achieve obtainable positions and goals in life. We can’t help but to notice the posture and pageantry of the two men praying. Let’s examine the prayer of the first man mentioned. He had positioned himself as a high-ranking religious leader. He was called a Pharisee. He was among the brightest of the brightest when it came to religious matters, he understood religious protocol. He had learned the law and was familiar with customary (traditional) prayer and times of worship. His posture was visible and extremely arrogant. He had developed an independent and self-righteous disposition. His pomp was seen and heard by all in attendance. Man cannot save himself and therefore it makes no sense to trust in ourselves. Whenever we find ourselves thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, God reminds us that we were made out of dirt and rescued from sin. This religious man, the Pharisee, the man who was both respected and honored by men could not get pass himself. The Pharisee was praying with himself about himself. What he considered to be prayer was nothing but bragging, self-congratulations. His prayer rose no higher than the beautiful roof of the building in which it was prayed. The Pharisee had established his own righteousness and could only plead what he was not, what he did, and how much better he was than others. His prayer starts out informing God that he was not as other men were. Listen as I give you a remix of his prayer. God, I thank you that the world has people like me. The man on the corner needs welfare and food stamps, I don’t. The prostitute on the street has AIDS, I don’t. The drunk at the club needs alcohol , I don’t. The gay caucus needs morality, I don’t. In the Pharisee’s prayer, we find no reason for us to believe that he believe that he needed God. No feeling that he owed God, no thanksgiving for what God had done for him or given him. No word of praise. It is a sad day when our prayers consist of no gratitude to or adoration for God. No praise, no confession, no request for anything. It is disappointing to see and hear people who speak of their accomplishment without making reference to the one who made it possible (God). The Pharisee asked for nothing, confessed nothing, received nothing and in my personal opinion said nothing. He was religious, he was a tither and he fasted more than the law required, but he was lost. He was lost not because of what he did not do. He did not place his trust in God, he was self-reliant and not God reliant. Man cannot save or keep himself. The other man in prayer understood how to go up. The publican, tax collector understood that if he was going to go up he had to come down.
1. The first thing that had to come down was his attitude. So many people could do more in life if they had the proper attitude. Folk with bad attitudes give those around them bad attitudes. Be aware of those around you, their attitudes are contagious. The publican had the right attitude. His attitude is reflected in his stand. He stood afar off. He saw himself as not being worthy to stand up close. Always be suspicious of those who always want to be seen and heard up close. When your attitude is right, God hears your prayer and not your words. The Pharisee had a 34 word prayer compared to a 2 word prayer of the publican. It’s not how much you say, it what you say that matters. Touch somebody and say work on your attitude.
2. Secondly, in order to go up you must be humble. When we become sin conscious we will develop a humble disposition. None of us today have anything to brag on apart from our savior. We are guilty and shame faced when we truly see ourselves. The publican was too sinful to be lifted up in pride. He was in need of serious help. When you need help, it humbles you. Whenever you have to depend on someone else for something you need, you are humble in their presence. The publican prayed because he was humble. He was grateful and he was not too proud to admit his shortcoming. Humility teaches us how to say, I’m sorry, I was wrong or I am wrong. Forgive me, I’m not always right, I make mistakes and I need help from God to make it. The publican was too broken to look up to heaven, the publican bowed and prayed. God have mercy on me. (Withhold from me what I deserve as punishment). Like my brother on welfare, I’m dependent on your grace. Like my brother with AIDS, I’m infected with sin and mistakes. Like my friends who drink, I need something to ease my pain. And as you give direction to those who are lost, include some directions for me also. Have mercy on me.
3. We must also stop pretending to possess what we do not profess or posses. The Pharisee professed a righteousness that he did not possess. The publican did not proclaim to have something that he did not have. It’s wrong and misleading to go through life pretending to have something or be someone that you are not. Be who you are. Be the best you can be. You don’t have to pretend to be up when you are down. The longer you pretend the longer you miss out on God’s blessing for your life. You don’t have to pretend to be well when you are sick. You don’t have to pretend to high when you are low. You don’t have to pretend to be my friend. I know you are an enemy. You don’t have to pretend to care; I know you don’t give a (blank) about me. You don’t have to pretend to be sinless. I know that you are really sinning less. Stop pretending. Be for real. Pray the prayer. LORD HAVE MERCY ON ME.
No comments:
Post a Comment