Message:
Focus is on the "us" perspective of the Pharisee's view of "them", promoting a disdain due to their cultural advantage of enforcing the Laws of God without the power of God. This parable reveals the nature of the "head knowledge" of man abiding outside Lord. Abiding in the Lord we are compelled to love and speak life, while outside the Lord we lose compassion and speak death. In reality, God sees everyone the same, in fact, ** 'there is no "them" there is just faces of us.' Having the mind Christ avoids comparison by self examination using God's standard, by allowing for relationship with God, then others, to become aware of things outside "us" and realizing God's sovereignty over all. We are encouraged to check the thought "this is beneath me" in Philippians 2:5-8 where Christ had no reputation, took for the form of a servant in the likeness of man, humbled Himself as man and obedient unto death.
**is paraphrased excerpt from a speech by Jimmy Doyle of Mission Waco
Scripture:
Luke 18:9-14 "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. KJV
Proverbs 18:20-21 "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." KJV
