Horizontal Humanity/Vertical Vicarious Vindication

Today's text was Luke 18:9-14

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"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.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Here are my notes:

I. Preface - Jesus tells a story of 2 men praying; the same action, but each with different motives, different prayers, and different outcomes

II. Pharisee - Considers himself one righteous dude...do I think of myself more highly that I ought? Do I realize how often I sin? Do I consider the sanctity of the sabbath when I plan out my week?

III. Publican - ceremonial unclean and unfit to enter the temple; a snapshot of who Jesus came to save. He saw himself as a sinner in need of a savior. Need to check how we are doing with sin and our view of ourselves? Simply check with Matthew 22:38-39, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

IV. People - "You are more wicked than you ever dared believe, but you are more loved than you ever dared hope." We ARE saved by works - Jesus' works. "When we are looking horizontally, we may never see ourselves in the same boat with other sinners. It is only when we look vertically that we see the utter hopelessness of thinking we are better than others and we realize we are all in the same sinking ship with only one Life-Preserver."

V. Purpose - we must recognize our own sinfulness and accept God's forgiveness of our sins

How simple. How amazing.

Today's sermon by Kevin Nolen, Covenant Presbyterian Church