THE KING’S BUSINESS
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enter into the kingdom of heaven. 3. He had a false standard of judg ment. Instead of comparing himself with God and with the divine standard, he compared himself with “other men,” and, worst of all, with the poorest of men, a “publican.” Had he looked above, instead of around about him, for his standard, it would have been different. , Humanly speaking, everything was against him: he was in a bad business, in bad company, and following a bad life. Socially and morally, he was separated from his fellowmen. He may have heard John preach. He did not visit the temple by accident, but doubtless as the result of a deep feeling of his need of forgiveness. This is indicated by his attitude: standing “afar off;” refusing to “lift up so much as his eyes to h e a v e n “beating upon his breast”—picture of deep sorrow. This is a good argument for pardon (Psalm 51). r It was to “God.” He hardly dared say “my God,” not daring to claim that personal relation ship. He asked forgiveness on the ground of propitiation. Doubt less his eyes rested on the sacri fice at that time ascending from the temple altar. What a con trast with the Pharisee who depended on himself! He blamed himself: “God be merciful to me the sinner.” He 2. His conviction. 3. His contrition. 4. His confession. 1. His condition. -
ened to do better. As the clay has remained throughout the centuries, so there is a heavenly record of your thoughts and words and of mine that remains through out the millenniums. Think then, think, and pi^ay to the Lord Jesus for the for giveness He is so ready to bestow. Ask Him to make you strong to do His blessed will, so that you need not fear to see the pcitures-of your past.— Selected. Theme: The-Pharisee and the Publican. T ext : Luke 18:9-14. I ntroduction . This is one of two parables on prayer (cf. 18:1-8). Here are two men praying, dissimilar in character, from opposite poles of society, with different titles, receiving different greetings as they came tp the temple, but who' certainly did not walk on the same side of the street,: one not daring, the other not deigning to—two men: the one a Pharisee, the other a pub lican. Yet these two men were similar in many respects: they went to inquire from the same God, at the same place, for the same purpose, at the same hour. The Pharisee had much in his favor: the respectability of a religious reputation, and, outwardly and apparently, a God-fearing and worthy life. The publican had prac tically nothing but disdain. Yet the Saviour tells us that the publican was- accepted before God, while the Pharisee was rej ected. I. The Pharisee. 1. A man full of self-righteous pride. A self-righteous man is always a censorious man, an unrighteous man, and a practical atheist, exalting himself instead of God. 2. He had a false estimate of his own character. He should have compared him self with God, not with man.
II. The Publican .
Jesus said, “Except your right eousness shall exceed the right eousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case
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