Today we find ourselves in the 18th chapter of Luke. We have the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. We are told Jesus was teaching about some people who trusted in themselves. This is a common theme that often confuses people. We should trust in ourselves after all shouldn't we.
Well the context of our scripture helps us to understand this better. Right after this parable ends people bring babies forward for Jesus to bless. It is hard to miss the juxtaposition of these humans. If you know anything about babies they don't trust in themselves. If they did this crying strategy would have never developed. If there is something a baby must trust in it is the kindness of strangers.
“Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God [with faith and humility] like a child will not enter it at all.”
Before our parable Jesus talks about the importance of prayer, perhaps that what crying is in the end. We hear of a judge who gives justice because it is easier; ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’
This is rather a remarkable clue to life. Justice is easier. This is why I believe what Martin Luther King Jr once said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” In my mind this is also shown by the fact that there is more matter than anti-matter in our universe. Reality is biased towards existence. Peace is the way because it is easier in the end.
On either side of today's scripture we are given two images. One of someone who thinks they have control. One of someone who knows they have no control. So in between we are confronted with this idea of trust in themselves, which doesn't sound like a problem. Would it be better to not trust in ourselves? This is not what seems to be the idea. Really it is about trusting that there is something larger than you.
In the end of our searching for meaning in life. This is what we are confronted; is there something larger than myself. To believe there is no God and that things happen by chance the answer would seem to be no. The super galaxy structure that seems to defy entropy would be transitory. In any case it probably is that way. Did the universe make something greater in you or is the universe greater than you?
Jesus almost seems to tell each person that he meets that they are greater than the universe. We learn how he treats people. We learn how confused people are by him. It is a real paradox how Jesus is so clear to his audience and at the same time missed. When Jesus speaks of a tax collector this is a shorthand for the worst of humanity. His audience would certainly believe. Collaborators. Profiteers. All the bad words of commerce.
Juxtaposed again with the Pharisee. Two thousand years later our dictionaries spell it right out: a member of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity: a self-righteous person; a hypocrite. People listening to Jesus needed no definition, but they would have thought of the tax collector as the hypocrite.
Jesus takes what people know and turns it upside down. Without God we are like fish out of water. More than ridiculous. Unsustainable. There are no stories of Jesus about what is right in the world, beyond the children. Luke 17: I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God [with faith and humility] like a child will not enter it at all.”
Failure brings us here even more success
Bottle necks have function
They are crafted in the end
Billions of years trillions of things did not work out
You are different
The bottleneck effect describes the phenomenon when a population has a sudden reduction in the gene pool due to natural environmental events, natural disasters, disease, or human involvement. This reduction in the gene pool will likely cause a bias that did not exist in the original population.
Some people can be distressed when someone mentions evolution or genetics in church. I find it rather funny. Do you doubt that the universe is larger than it seems to need to be? Comes down to the question of what is hard for God. Evolution certainly doesn't seem too difficult for God. Maybe giving up and losing one person might be hard, why else would it take so long?
In Colossians 1:16 and17 we read:
16 For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. 17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]
We are to the point now that human involvement is becoming the dominant force in our environment. We recently had what politicians in Florida said was a 500 year storm. We need new vocabulary for what is happening in the world.
What I want to say is all our problems are created by us and all our salvations are created by Jesus. And here between the unjust judge who is just because it is easier and the child which is completely dependent upon others for life we find our scripture for today.
Luke 18, 9-14 I read from the Amplified Bible:
9 He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [posing outwardly as upright and in right standing with God], and who viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
Trust in ourselves here we see some redeeming qualities. The real problem is viewing others with contempt. God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men. Well I often find myself thinking almost something similar. God, I thank you that I do not have to live their life. In my mind there is no contempt for my fellow man, but a joy that I get to live with my decisions. I get to be a fish in water. You can argue that there are other ways, but I don't have to live them.
In Romans 8:28 we are reassured: And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.
13 But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’
Whatever can be said about this man, his prayer was about him and God. This is what the hypocrite misses I think. When we come to the thrown of the creator of the universe we come alone. It does not matter what anyone else has done. Now I would agree that we are connected and in many ways in this together, but in a real sense we are reminded we are in real ways also alone to choose.
Jesus highlights this tax collector as people would instantly see the evil, but in hearing the story would understand that each person is redeemable in the eyes of our creator. This is a very profound thing to understand. I think it supports the idea that God really would have a preference to save us all. Seems to me as I have mentioned many times if there was some elect only then it would not take nearly as long.
14 I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.”
We can leave behind types of people mentioned here. We have in our world moral tax collectors. We have in our world moral religious leaders. We have the luxury to study Jesus. Those being taught were like a bottle neck for the message of Jesus.
It needed to get through a tough time when it could have easily been lost. Seems the choices made by Jesus to bring the importance of being earnest. These almost cartoon characters were used to hammer a message into the world. It had to stick. Now after hard fought and often lost times we have this luxury to see the message below the true propaganda.
Failure brings us here even more success
Bottle necks have function
They are crafted in the end
Billions of years trillions of things did not work out
You are different
So be different and worry about yourself. Let's remove the plank from our eye.
I think it is a simple message we have here today. It doesn't really matter what you do if you turn to God you are alone. As it really doesn't matter what you do, only less important can be what others do. Each person a chance for God to love forever. We are given this free choice for reasons I don't fully understand, but seems rather silly to ask a fish do you want to live in water? Be different: don't make the simple complex.
Let Us Pray
Creator of the Universe
(Jeremiah) 20 We know and acknowledge, O Lord,
Our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against You.
21 Do not treat us with contempt and condemn us, for Your own name’s sake;
Do not disgrace Your glorious throne;
Remember [with consideration] and do not break Your [solemn] covenant with us.
Help us see the choice before us
Help us to learn in this luxurious time we live
Help us to see our lives in your will
Help us to leave our judgements of others behind
Help us to see the simple messages of creation
We ask for your continued help in all we do
We ask in the name of our savior Jesus
Amen
Benediction
Go in the world
Failure brings us here even more success
Billions of years trillions of things did not work out
You are different thanks be to God
You are a servant thanks to God
Go Serve to the glory of our lord
Amen
Nottingham UMC 10/23/2022
