Do you admit you've done wrong?

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

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^[a^] 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."

To some schoolboys who were quite confident that they were doing frightfully well and that God was chuffed to bits with them and who rather looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable on a Sunday evening one summer: "Two Etonians went into chapel one morning at 8.40, one of them, menzies-menzies-rotherington was in E block, in Junior Colts firsts for rugby and cricket, had already been tipped for pop, had just aced his Spanish GCSE oral which he had done early because he was so indescribably clever, and was already looking forward to helping people out on his gap year with raleigh international because he was such a nice bloke; the other was a shabby looking contemporary of his, in the same house, who was in tardy book for the fourth week this term, had just cheated in his french coursework, was on a rustication warning for bullying and was dreading seeing the lowermaster on the bill the next week . They stood up, mumbled their way through the hymns, as only etonians do, and then sat down for the prayers, the first boy cast a quick glance around lower chapel and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other boys, - Harrovians, Haileyburians, Wellingtonians, indeed, or even any of these lesser Etonians like scrumpington mi here (that was the second boys name). I am very popular, I've got good banter with the potential poppers in the year above already, I'm highly talented at rugby and cricket, and will probably be a serious hit in the starring role of the lower school play later this summer. I'm generous too, - I'm already thinking about giving my precious time to go on a gap year with raleigh international to build a house in Timbuktu.

But the second boy didn't look around: he buried his head in his hands. He would not even look up to heaven, but clasped his hands together in such frustration at all that he had done wrong that his temples hurt, and said "God have mercy on me, a sinner".

Now how does the next bit go?

"I tell you God was chuffed to bits with the very sporty super trendy loads of mates budding popper as well but he didn't think much of the other bloke?...

wrong actually, it finishes like this

"I tell you that this boy, rather than the first, went away justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

So hang on. Did I just say what you think I said? Did I just say that God prefers scrumpington mi, that living wreck of a child over the brightest and best of E block? Did I just say that God accepted the rebel rude boy over the really talented thoroughly good chap. Am I really suggesting that God goes for the fool who knows he's wrong instead of the future captain of rugby who thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread?

Well, yes I did and yes I am.

Only don't take my word for it. What did Jesus say when he told this parable. A little background: The Pharisees were really good blokes. Everyone looked up to them as an example of good living. They were people like RERD. And this pharisee that Jesus mentioned was no exception, he gave ten percent of all he had to the poor. Just imagine the kind of guy who goes to Tudor stores, and for every quid he spends on lemon sherbet dippers he puts 10pence in the charity box. And Tax collectors on the other hand were bad, like an ultra evil and corrupt version of a traffic warden.

And Jesus says that the tax collector went home justified, that is accepted by God, rather than the Pharisee.

So basically the parable is saying those who look good to us, are not necessarily those who look good to God. Or, if we transfer that into this environment, that means those who look good at school, the popular ones, the respected ones, are not necessarily those who look good to God. So just think for a moment, who are the people that everyone thinks are great in your year. Who are the people who are particularly religious in your year. Jesus is saying that they are not necessarily the people whom God accepts.

Now the lower master is shifting anxiously from side to side, wondering whether I am going to leave it at that. So I better explain myself.

There was one crucial difference between these two men that completely cancels out all the rest.

Who here has watched the apprentice with sir Alan Sugar who is this mega angry mega rich guy. My wife Emily and I have become apprentice addicts, and along with two other friends we religiously gather every week to watch it. If you're not a fan, basically what happens is that every week an ever dwindling number of wannabe apprentices get given a task to do, in two teams, and at the end they get called into Sir Alan Sugar's boardroom where he makes them explain their incompetence. Every week one person on the team that loses gets fired, but not before they've had a thorough dressing down from Sir Alan Sugar. Eventually all but one will be eliminated, and Sir Alan Sugar will have his new apprentice.

Well, the thing is, God is basically the opposite of Alan Sugar. Alan Sugar basically runs everyone over the coals in the boardroom and accepts people who are over confident, fight their corner, never give in, and who show their superiority over those around them.

God is the opposite. There is only one criterion for being accepted by God: you've just got to admit you've done wrong. Alan Sugar wants people who think they're right and have the confidence to stand up for themselves under pressure. God on the other hand wants only those who are actually prepared to recognise they're not always right and they've messed up. That tax collector was a moral failure, but God accepted him, because he realised he'd done wrong and needed forgiveness. The pharisee thought he deserved a medal and a couple of birthday honours for being such a great bloke, and God rejected him.

One thought he was God's gift to the world, the other realised he had nothing to give and could only receive.

One of them thought he was a credit to God, whilst the other realised that he was in eternal debt.

One was sef-righteous, the other self-condemned

But in the end, the One who exalted himself and was humbled, the one humbled himself and was exalted.

So do you see, it didn't actually make a difference what they had done with their lives on the outside, whether Pharisee or tax collector, whether budding popper or scrumpington mi, the big issue is: Did they admit they had done wrong?

So you'll be pleased to hear, and so will the lower master, that I'm not saying that if you're talented and popular God automatically doesn't accept you, nor that if you're a troublemaker God automatically does. In the end it's a question of heart attitude.

Whether you are successful in the eyes of Eton, in the eyes of your peers, in the eyes of the world or not, what matters is your attitude to God. Do you come to him humbly with regret for the ways you have rebelled against him, or do you come to him, like David Beckham from Madrid to the Los Angeles Galaxy, thinking, boy he must be chuffed to bits to have me on his side.

After all It could have been the other way round after all. It could have been that the popular guy was actually very humble, and realised that for all his talents he was well short of God's standards, it could have been that scrumpington mi was arrogant to boot, that he didn't recognise he'd done wrong at all, nor feel any inclination to change. In any case what matters is Do we admit that we have done wrong.

I think Jesus' parable would have us ask a few questions of ouselves:

Firstly, If you do not believe Jesus words are true, which of course each man must decide for himself, how is it that we gain acceptance by God, and how do you know whether you are right?

secondly, if we trust Jesus' words, Have we ever come into chapel, or prayed anywhere and beaten our breast in sorrow and repentance. Now I know we're Brits, and we're Etonians, and upper lips probably don't come any stiffer, but you get my point. Have we ever, like that tax collector, like scrumpington mi, felt deep pain and regret at our wrongdoing against God. Have you ever shed a tear when you come to God? If not, will we not remain unaccepted by God, just like the pharisee?

thirdly, Have we ever felt like that tax collector, recognised that we are rotten, broken through and through, and perhaps been tempted to think that God could never accept us? Let's be reminded, that whether we are the Pharisee, the tax collector, menzies-menzies-rotherington, scrumpington mi, Alan Sugar, David beckham or anyone else, God's love in the cross of Jesus Christ covers, washes away the greatest of our wrongdoings, if only we would ask for his mercy.

Talk for Apprentice conference Christmas 06/7 1 Thess 1:3-12

Intro

Many people think praying to God is a bit like writing to Santa Claus for your Christmas presents. This is now the fifth year that I have performed Santa’s duties for the children of some family friends and so I feel rather like I have my finger on the buzzer as these things go.

Thus, not long before Christmas I received the following from Alexandra

Dear Santercluse (this is not in fact a reference to my private detective but to me directly)

The last line is indeed a little concerning as if I am the best santa in the world that suggests that Alexandra understands there are ‘other Santas’, this, along with the fact that she asked me whether it was cold at the North Pole – suggests my cover is about to be blown.

Anyway that is not the point. The point is that when we talk to God, if we’re not thinking too much about it, we tend to speak to him rather like a letter to Santa.

Dear God I want to pass my exams, I want the rugby lads who sit on the back row in Maths to think I’m cool and I want my loaded friend Jeffrey to take me on another awesome summer holiday to Barbados and if that’s not possible I wouldn’t mind a family holiday to the Costa del Sol. Oh and keep mum, dad, sis and the tortoise safe.

But what does God think of that? How would he have us pray? We’re going to take our lead from the apostle Paul and look at how he spoke to God. His prayers in 2 Thessalonians are rather different. Not that it is always wrong to talk to God about the things I just mentioned, concerning ourselves, or the safety of our families, but there are other more important things that Paul talks to God about.

But before we dive in and have a look at what he asks for, we should take a little while to take in the apostle’s Paul’s general outlook, or perspective on life.

Perspective: What’s the real need? What’s the real solution?

Right perspective -> right prayer

What Paul says to God all comes from his perspective - the way he sees our future. He knows where we’re going and so he knows what to ask for. If we know where we going, we’ll know what we need too. A right perspective will lead to right prayers.

Illustration – my rowing crew last year

It’s a bit like sport. Take my rowing team, for example. I am the coach and have to convince my boys to train hard all the way through the next term in order that they are fit enough for the races in the summer. So when one of my boys is flagging and thinking why do I need to lift this weight for the hundred and third time this session, I’ll say to him – “I know you feel like your lungs are about to burst and like you need to chill out with a long cool refreshing beverage but you have to race in the summer – just imagine you’re half way through a big race and you’re neck and neck with your strongest opponents – this training is what will keep you going – without it you’ll lose -you need it!”

Knowing the goal – the race, means these rowers will know what they need. In the same way if we Christians know where we’re heading, we’ll know what we need.

What’s our perspective?

Paul’s perspective is the knowledge that he, and every single person alive, including us is heading towards God’s judgment and after that, eternity either with him or without him. There it is in verses 6 to 10. READ. It is clear that there will come a time when God will judge. Look at verse 8. Those who don’t know God will be punished, and verse 9 they will be shut out from the presence of the Lord. The Christian perspective focuses on man’s eternal destiny whether with or without God.

So what do we need?

If that’s where we’re going, then faith in Jesus is our greatest need. According to Paul those who haven’t put their trust in the Lord Jesus will be punished for eternity. PAUSE But wonderfully no one needs to suffer that fate. Those who do put their trust in him can look forward to heaven. Look at verses 9 and 10. READ If this is what happens to those who don’t believe we can also say confidently that those who do believe can look forward to being in God’s presence, where they will worship him forever. The one who made us and loves us so much that he gave his son Jesus for us will be our eternal companion. Anyone who has faith in him, will be with Jesus forever.

That’s the right perspective: we need faith in Jesus.

Praise: Thank God for other Christians

That perspective seriously affects how Paul talks to God, and how we should as well. We’ll look at two aspects, Praise and prayer

First of all Praise. look at the way Paul praises God. See how he kicks off in verse 3. We ought always to thank God for you brothers Paul praises and thanks God for these wonderful Christian friends he has in Thessalonica. What does he thank God for in particular? You might think he’d praise God that they were still alive, what with them being persecuted, but no. Remember Paul’s perspective, he’s got eternal life and death in mind. So he thanks God for what really matters, for the amazing faith of his brothers in Christ. Look what he thanks God for in particular:

growing faith

going somewhere, what does it mean for faith to grow? -> greater trust, greater enthusiasm

First of all, their growing faith: verse 3 We ought to thank God for you brothers because your faith is growing more and more. “O Lord,” says Paul, “thank you so much for giving my friends’ faith in you, particularly how it keeps getting stronger – they trust you more, they’re more excited about being your people. You’ve given them the thing they most need – and loads of it!”. I feel the same way when I see you lot, and I’m sure you do too. Isn’t it an encouragement to see a friend’s faith grow. Perhaps after a conference or a summer camp, or just over the course of time, He trusts God more, he’s loves God more, he’s more excited about the good news of Jesus, he’s bolder when his friends challenge him and is encouraging others to do the same. That really is the very best thing he can have. I ought to thank God for him. Which of your friends have you seen grow in faith recently? All that is God’s work, why not start off your prayers by thanking him.

increasing love

care for others – Harry – how was this possible

Secondly, he thanks God for their increasing love. When I was 14 I was a pretty uncool schoolboy with a side parting that started right over here, who spent most of his afternoons playing snooker on his own, and so I remember I just couldn’t believe it when this guy called Harry in the top year actually spoke to me at the Christian meeting, he took time to see to my needs, and even invited me to come to the prayer meetings. Where I was at school, you would never do that for someone younger than you. Who is the person here at Radley or wherever who first showed you Christian love. Have you thanked God for him or her?

Prayer: Pray for other Christians:

Only after he has thanked God and acknowledged what he has already done, does Paul go on to ask him for things. Only after the praise, does Paul move on to the prayer.

So, prayer: Lets jump to verse 11. With this in mind we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling and that by his power he may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

Paul prays two things for his friends; that they would behave worthily and that God would prosper their godly plans..

behave worthily

Illustration of Prefect / misdemeanour of some kind – to explain worthy behaviour

Firstly he prays God would count them worthy of his calling. It’s like this; imagine one of you gets made a school prefect, a great honour and a great responsibility, and you’re happily going about doing all the right things, smile at all the teachers, being nice to the younger kids, generally being upstanding citizens: you are behaving worthily. Your behaviour is worthy of a being school prefect. That’s how school prefects should behave. Then suppose that you woke up one day and in a fit of complete madness you decided pour some cement onto the steps in front of mansion, stand ankle deep in it until it set and then wait to see what happened. Then the warden would come up to you and in the morning and say Look here Symington-bloggesville major, you’re meant to be a school prefect; that kind of behaviour is unworthy of who you are. Act like a prefect.

Now Paul prays that his friends in Thessalonica would behave in a way that’s worthy of their calling as Christians. God has saved them freely and now he asked that they would act like it - be the honest, loving, pure, god-fearing, humble, holy, bold, joyful, compassionate kind of people that God has called them to be. We could do the same.

“Dear Father please make James humble and loving”

“Dear God, give Andy the boldness to stand up for what he believes to be true when his friends ask him about why he trusts in you.”

“Dear Lord, help my brother to be holy and pure, even when his friends put him under pressure not to be”

But hang on, you might say, is that really what our friends need? I mean, is that what Paul’s friends needed? Paul, have a heart these friends of yours, the Thessalonians, are having a rotten time of life, being done in for being Christians etc. why aren’t you asking for peace, and a stop to the persecution. But - remember Paul’s perspective – when he’s praying he’s got his sights fixed on eternity with God, what these Christians really need is stuff that will last forever, and what could be more permanent than pleasing the God with whom you spend eternity?

God would prosper their godly plans

Secondly, and lastly let’s pray like Paul that God would prosper their godly plans. verses 11-12 we constantly pray for you that out God…by his power may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We don’t know exactly what they were up to, but clearly the Thessalonians’ growing faith had lead them to make all sorts of great plans to serve God. Paul prays that God would let those great plans work out. We could do the same

Now pick a close Christian friend. What good purposes, what godly plans have they decided upon recently. You could start by asking them that very question. Have they resolved to go to church more regularly, or to start reading the bible, have they decided to go and visit some poorly or elderly people regularly? Have they decided they really want to speak to their friend about Jesus? Why not ask God to fulfil those purposes?

“Lord Jesus, give Hugo the self discipline and the desire and joy to read your word regularly”

“Heavenly Father, please would Simon be able to tell his friend the good news about Jesus”

and so on.

Top Tips

Finally, 2 top tips. I don’t find prayer easy, particularly when I want to pray for others. If I just sit down randomly and start praying, I tend to say something like this to God, I don’t know whether you can relate to it:

“Dear God, I really pray for George, erm… be with him and help him…in his work, which, come to think of it, I have quite a lot of at the moment…but I’ll do that this afternoon after lunch, when I have a bit of time…erm…hang on, have I had any breakfast…what? Where was I… oh yes Dear God, I really pray for George…and I really should check my email as well etc.”

So I always find 2 things useful: Read and write:

1^stly read: I always find my prayers are more focused, if I start off by reading a verse from the bible. That way I’m more likely to have the right perspective.

2ndly write

I find I need to write down the people I want to pray for on a list. A list focuses my attention on what I am praying about, reminds me who to pray about, and I can write down what to pray for them as well.

summary.

So, in summary, When it comes to speaking to God about our friends – let’s get the right perspective, let’s praise God for all he has done in them, and pray that he would continue.

Sermon to Benenden 26.02.07 Mark 10

As Jesus started on his way, a girl ran up to him and fell on her knees before him. “Good teacher,” She asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life? My name’s Samantha, I’m from Benenden which is rather a nice school in the South of England.”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No-one is good– except God alone, not you, not mother Teresa nor anyone for that matter. You know the commandments: ‘Do you prep thoroughly, don’t lie about your coursework being dropped in a puddle, don’t sleep with your boyfriend, don’t be adolescent with your parents don’t gossip about the other girls behind their back, don’t steal peoples’ jewelry or clothes and be nice to first years”.

“Teacher,” Samantha declared triumphantly, “all these I have kept since I started at Benenden, look here are my reports. English is particularly good.

Jesus looked at her and loved her. “One thing you lack”, he said, “Go, sell your pearls, your precious stoned jewelry, your prada shoes, your dinky black tie handbag, your ipod, your Chanel watch, your Johnfrieda shampoo and conditioner, your UGG boots, your favorite ball gown, your ghd hair straighteners, and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this Samantha’s face fell. She went away sad, because she had several ipods in different colours and they even had her name engraved on the back, and she’d never be able to go out again without her ghds.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for girls from Benenden to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children how hard it is for who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “If it’s that hard for a girl from Benenden who then can be saved?

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God”.

Depending on your outlook on life you will have found that story either incredibly depressing or wonderfully uplifting. In fact there might also be a few people in this chapel who really didn’t like that story. They might say it sounded very negative. They might be thinking ‘who are you to come into this chapel and judge? Are you trying to say you can’t be a Christian unless you’re poor.’

If you’re thinking that may I suggest you didn’t quite get the right end of the stick, the point of the story, indeed the point of Jesus’ story. Let me clarify, I have not come to judge - I could just as easily have put myself in Samantha’s place, and the story would have been 100% accurate, you can hear I’m posh anyway can’t you. Secondly if you found that a rather depressing story, that means you only heard the bit about you in it and you missed the really good bit about God.

This is what it means: The Rich young man in Jesus story, or Samantha in mine, or you or I, whoever want eternal life. Who doesn’t? And in the story they reckon they’re going to get it by doing a load of stuff that makes them good.

Samantha imagines life is one enormous moral ladder. she starts at the bottom. She imagines that eternal life is at the top. She reckons that by doing stuff, by being good she can get up that ladder.

The same is true for the rich man. So : The ten commandments: I haven’t killed anyone –up one, I haven’t committed adultery - up one, I haven’t lied – I can’t believe he hadn’t lied but anyway – up one. Or let’s bring it closer to home. Samantha thinks I was nice to my parents over half term – up one. I am kind to the first years, up another. I don’t gossip about other girls – up one. I don’t do drugs – up one and so on. People like the Rich young man or Samantha think that if they do enough good things they’ll get to the top, and they’ll be able to say to God at the end “all these commands I have kept”. He’ll say, “well done, you’ve earned your place” and they’ll get eternal life.

Has anyone ever thought that was the way to get into heaven? As long as I do enough good things? That what the Rich young man thought. That’s what Samantha thought. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.” I know I have. Many people perhaps even some of you think that’s how Christianity works.

Well actually it’s not. Jesus taught the Rich Young Man very wisely that this was the wrong way to get eternal life. You see the problem comes right at the beginning. The Rich young Man asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life”. “What must I do”. That’s where he’s gone wrong. He thinks eternal life is achieved by me.By me doing things and becoming good enough.

Jesus takes him on at his own game. Instead of telling the young man straight out that he’s go the wrong idea about getting eternal life, he lets him have a go. He’s going to have to learn by himself. So He asks whether he has kept the commandments, and he gives him a list of the easy ones first. don’t steal, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery. Things are going well for the Rich young men and the Samanthas of this world. Yup, I’ve done all those, I’m on track for the pearly gates, oh yes.

Then Jesus throws in one of the commands he saved up and it all changes. You shall have no other Gods before me, say the commandments. So you won’t worship money, you won’t mind losing money to follow me. Sell up and follow me then. The man went away sad. Samantha went away sad because they had great wealth, and they didn’t love Jesus enough to give it up.

So perhaps life is a moral ladder, but it is so long, it stretches up so high, the gaps between the rungs are so huge that we could never get to the top. Jesus said that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. That’s pretty impossible. He means we could never obtain eternal life by doing good things. Lets be honest with ourselves. Could we ever truly live a life of complete obedience to God. I couldn’t do that for 5 minutes. Now up to this point I’d agree with the people who found my story unnecessarily depressing and negative.

But It’s not a depressing story because it doesn’t stop there. In fact it is a wonderful story underpinned by a marvelous reality, a truth that in fact makes all the difference to my life, as perhaps it has done to some of you.

The disiples ask, “who then can be saved?”. Jesus answers, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God.”

It’s easy to get the wrong idea about Jesus’ attitude to the Rich young men or the Samanthas of this world. Do you remember? Mark says he looked at him and loved him. These people are excluded from eternal life for only one reason. They insist on trying to get there by themselves. That’s where riches come in. Being rich makes us feel like we own the world, like we can have anything we want, we can depend on ourselves for all we need. But the truth is, they will never get there on their own. Well what can be done then, the disciples wonder? Wonderfully though, what man cannot do, God can do. Indeed Jesus loves you and me so much, that he is prepared to do the impossible for us. That is the message of the cross. When Jesus Christ came to earth, it was as if God came down the ladder from eternity onto earth. There he lived a perfect life, a life worthy of Heaven and then he went to the cross and died to cancel the punishment for our sin. Now that Jesus has suffered in our place we can claim the reward that only he deserves. Eternity with God.

I have one question to you. How do you hope to inherit eternal life? Do you, like Samantha and the Rich Young man think you’ll get there because you’re a good person, or will you have to rely on Jesus to make the impossible happen.

May I say, perhaps my sermon has bothered you and you would like to challenge me. Do feel free to come and ask me after the service or perhaps take the time during the week to go and speak to Mrs. Ashton. But please, if Jesus’ words have moved you, don’t just try to forget them so that you can sleep easy. Read Matthew Do something about it.