Confidence in Prayer

September 15, 1991 pm

Luke 18:9-17 "Two men went up to the temple to pray ..."

Confidence is a great thing; but clearly in the matter of prayer it is important where we place our confidence. Jesus told a story to warn us not to place our confidence in our own righteousness while we look down on others.

I. A VERY SIMPLE STORY

Instead of giving long abstract lists of rules, Jesus often clothed the truth in stories. Here in just a few words Jesus gives a picture of two men going up the place of prayer, the temple.

One key thought of this story is that we do not always know what is going on in someone else's prayer life. We cannot see other people as God sees them. One thing we can be sure of, people are probably not what we think they are. An Old Testament scripture tells us that man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart! (I Samuel 16.)
Here were two very different men. One was a man obviously accustomed to the temple and its surroundings. The other was in a line of work that the average Jew of his day despised; he collected taxes from the Jews for the occupying Roman government to make a living for himself.
One man was used to prayer; he was at home in the temple; he lived for the established religion. The other was not the kind we might think of as religious. But there they are. Both of these men have climbed the Hill of Zion to the beautiful temple in order to pray.

Jesus described first the Pharisee:

II. THE PIOUS MAN AND HIS PRAYER

It isn't wrong to be pious
1. If you read the story carefully, it does NOT say that all Pharisees are bad; not all religious people are suspect. As a matter of fact, the thing that makes the story striking is the fact that here was a religious man who is not all that he would seem to be on the outside.
2. A popular negative reaction to piety today- to religion- would seize this story, as it does every failure of every prominent Christian, and use it as proof that there is nothing at all to supernatural faith. That is not what Jesus intended.
3. Pharisee means something negative to us now, but Pharisee was not the dirty word then that it has become. Paul was a Pharisee! This greatest Christian, perhaps, that ever followed Jesus claimed to be a Pharisee; he was raised a Pharisee, and told a throng in Jerusalem that he WAS a Pharisee.
  Pharisees were people who loved God's word; who strove to live by God's Word; who believed in eternal life— who would make wonderful church members if they were also people after God's own heart.
  Pharisees— people who "live by the book"— make good Christians if they ever really get thoroughly converted! They TITHE! They APPLY THE BIBLE TO THEIR EVERYDAY LIVING! They go beyond what they were taught of the letter of the law, and live out the JOY that comes from serving whole-heartedly!
True piety is inherently humble
1. Where this Pharisee's faith went wrong was in a misplaced confidence. It is one thing to have poise and self-confidence in the normal sense of the word; it is quite another thing to come to the place of prayer and face Almighty God like this man in Jesus' parable did.
2. How was that? How did the Pharisee pray?
  1. The Pharisee prayed with Thanksgiving! Isn't that good? Thanksgiving is good— except that this man thanked God for being so fortunate as to know him! I know that doesn't "make sense" but there it is!
  2. The Pharisee prayed with an awareness of sin It is necessary for us to see that humans are sinful, and God is holy, or we cannot appreciate the need for salvation. This man had a well-developed sense of sin—— except the only sins he saw were the sins of other people! He saw every sin except his own!
  3. The Pharisee also was aware of others as he prayed. When we pray, we are made conscious of the fact that we do not, we cannot live in a vacuum.
    Real prayer makes us aware of others,. and of their needs.
    But this dear religious pious Pharisee compared himself with others— to his own advantage. "I thank you that I am NOT like to others— especially that wretched tax gatherer over there!"
    In summary, here was the Pharisee's prayer: Thanksgiving ... for what he had to give to God! Litany of self-righteousness (good things!) Awareness of sin ... of everyone but himself! Comparison ... not with Jesus but with weak and obvious.
3. And what was the result? The RESULT of this great utterance was exactly ... nothing! ZERO. Dead air.
  When souls go away from the place of prayer— from worship— dry and empty— it could be that there was no spiritual food and drink available; it could be that there was spiritual food and drink in abundance, but no means of receiving the supply.

[Transition:] It is probably hardly worth our time to listen in on the prayer of the other person in the story Jesus told. He isn't a seasoned, initiated spiritual giant just as yet. He isn't quite "at home" in this beautiful temple. All the same, here he is:

III. THE SINNER AND HIS PRAYER

A sense of distance
One thing that strikes us as we look at the word-picture Jesus has given us of these two men at prayer is that this other man, this not-so-attractive, not-so-religious man is standing a distance apart from the others; perhaps a distance from the altar itself.
What is this "sense of distance"? What is this feeling of separation? Do you think you ever know what I am talking about?
Does God ever seem far away, ever?
Do you seem somehow set apart from others who seem to be "in" and you are "out"?
Is it hard to draw near to God? Does it seem so, sometimes? Drawing near to a great God— is not small stuff. Beware of the person who has God all figured out; who never stands in awe of the holiness and power and justice of God.
Yes, God has taught us to call Him "Father!" And yes, God is love. God is also Other.
Am I saying we ought to stand at a distance? Or that we should recognize the distance that is already there?
What this tells me is that this unlikely pray-er— this publican— had a healthier concept of God than the Pharisee had. He sees God as HOLY! He sees himself as unworthy to draw near!
Awareness of need
The next thing that strikes us about Jesus' description of this publican is that he is NOT telling God how GOOD he is! As a matter of fact, he is having trouble looking up into the face of God! There is a keen awareness of unworthiness manifest here.
Can you identify with that at all?
There is somehow boldness to ask for grace
Somehow the holiness of God has drawn him to the place of prayer; somehow the gift of faith is being imparted. In spite of the OTHER-ness of God, this poor sinner is emboldened to ask for forgiveness!
Courage to ask is a step of faith; a gift of God to those who come to Him.
Sorrow for sin
We don't have much to go on; but Jesus said this man 'smote his breast,' with his head bowed. I believe this is evidence of sorrow for sin. It was enough for a loving Father God!
Not much of a prayer, you'll have to admit. But what was the result?
A prayer that reached the Throne of God
RESULT: This man, not the pious, religious one, went back down the hill to his home justified !! On the basis of Christ's provision— on the basis of the love of God forever identifying with sinful men of all ages— even though he didn't understand— even thought this is just an illustration, remember it is a parable of truth told by Jesus— and Jesus said this man's prayer hit the center of the bull's eye.

Did he KNOW he was justified?

Well, remember it WAS just a story. But it is a story that has happened over and over again across the millennia— and the answer is:

I like to think he KNEW he was justified, too!

Conclusion:

There you have it: a contrast of ways to come to God— of ways to seek God's face— of approaches to the need for God and salvation.

But wait a minute— there is a little story at the end of this story. It isn't a parable, this time. It really happens.

IV. THE 'OTHER STORY' — "COMING LIKE A CHILD"

It may have been just a coincidence. But I think it perfectly fits. The other story is that just then some mothers came by with their children, and they wanted Jesus to touch them, to bless them.
You know how the disciples reacted: "This isn't kid stuff— beat it! Don't bother the Master!" Jesus seems to say: "This is exactly what I have been talking about! No "important people" understand! Only the true in heart may come!"
What do the tax-gatherer and little children have in common? The stories are really NOT so unrelated: Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child does not enter at all!"
What do the tax-gatherer and a little child have in common?
Honesty? A certain humility? Children may be self-centered (aren't we all underneath?) but they know that they aren't "big folks" either!
Our confidence is to be placed in the willingness of God to meet us, cleanse and save us, and accept us by grace into His family. When our confidence is in our own spiritual wealth we are in grave danger!
In the last book of the Bible are messages for every church, of every age. But the most serious warning is to a church which acted very much like this Pharisee in Jesus' story, The Church at Laodocia. The Church at Laodocia had everything! Except it had lost the simple, straightforward, humble, life-changing love of God!
How can we pray with confidence? The place for our confidence in prayer is in the holiness and the love of God! In Him we can know that we are justified freely!

Prayer

Hymn #60 (Exalt Him) Give Me a Holy Life