When it comes to your eternal salvation, are you confident? If you were to die tonight and found yourself standing before the judgement seat of the all-knowing God and He fastened His all-seeing eyes on you, are you confident that the outcome of that encounter will result in your salvation?
Tonight, we have before us a story about confidence. In this story we are introduced to two men who are full of confidence. The first man is a Pharisee. The Pharisees started out as a religious group that was admired and respected by their fellow Jews for their desire to follow the word of God in every aspect of their lives. They were the kind of people that never missed a worship service, consistently participated in bible class, and regularly read their scriptures. Everybody admired and respected the Pharisee, but sadly, over time, nobody admired and respected the Pharisee more than the Pharisee admired and respected himself. Jesus gives us a sense of the Pharisee’s arrogance by allowing us to listen in on the Pharisee’s prayer, “11 God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
When it came to his eternal salvation, the Pharisee was confident. But did you notice on whom the Pharisee based his confidence? The Pharisee based his confidence on himself. The Pharisee compared himself to other people and determined that compared to them he had reason to be confident. But did you also notice what kind of people the Pharisee compared himself to? He didn’t compare himself to a Sadducee or a Scribe or a priest. He compared himself to robbers, evildoers, and adulterers.
The Pharisee was able to feel confident about his salvation because he compared himself to the scumbags, dirtballs, and lowlifes of his culture. Well, anybody can do that, I mean even Vladimir Putin can compare himself to Adolf Hitler and walk away feeling somewhat confident. If Putin can do it, so can you. I am sure you can find a neighbor whose house is filled with more scandal than your own. I am sure you have friends who cross the line more often than you do. If all else fails you can look around you tonight and make a mental note of your fellow Messiah members who didn’t show up to the Ashe Wednesday service, like you did. I am sure, like the Pharisee, you can find some scumbag, dirtball, or lowlife that you can compare yourself to that will allow you to walk away feeling confident about your salvation. But you already know what the problem is, don’t you. When it comes to salvation it is not the scumbags, dirtballs, and lowlifes that we are to compare ourselves to…
We are going to hear how things turned out for the Pharisee who based his confidence on himself in just a moment but first there was another man in Jesus’ story who was full of confidence. This man was a Tax Collector. The Tax Collector was looked upon with scorn and disdain by his fellow Jews because Tax Collectors were traders and cheats. They worked for the Roman oppressors to collect the very tax that paid for the soldiers that were oppressing them. And to make matters worse these traitorous Tax Collectors were known to collect more than Rome required. If Rome wanted $10 from each person, the tax man would demand $12. With the Roman army backing them there was nothing the people could do. As a result, everybody scorned and despised the Tax collector. But nobody scorned and despised the Tax collector more than the Tax Collector in Jesus’ story scorned and despised himself. Jesus gives us a sense of the Tax Collector’s humility by allowing us to listen in on the tax collector’s prayer, “13 God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
When it came to his eternal salvation the Tax Collector was confident. But did you notice on whom the Tax Collector based his confidence? The Tax Collector based his confidence on Jesus. The Tax Collector prays for mercy. The word mercy here is an unusual word. It is an asking for reconciliation to be made on behalf of the guilty party by offering a sacrifice. This word is only used one other time in the New Testament. It is used in Hebrews 2:17 where the author writes, “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” Jesus is the mercy that the Tax Collector was praying about. The Tax Collector did not waste his time looking for someone to compare himself to. Rather, the Tax Collector spent his time looking at himself. He looked at the things he had done and the things he had left undone. He looked at the lusts and desires in his heart. He looked at bigotries and prejudices in his mind. When the Tax Collector looked at himself, he did not find any reason to be confident. So, he turned his attention to God’s mercy, to Jesus. He looked at Jesus and saw a man whose piety surpassed the purest of Pharisees but a man who was willing to associate with scumbags, dirtballs, and lowlifes. He saw a man who so loved the scumbags, dirtballs, and lowlifes that He sacrificed Himself so that the scumbags, dirtballs, and lowlifes would be reconciled. The Tax Collector looked at Jesus and was filled with confidence.
During the season of Lent, you are invited to examine on whom you base your confidence. You really on have two choices. Either you stand beside the Pharisee or kneel beside the Tax collector; either you spend your time look for people you might be better than or you spend your time looking at your sinful self; either you base your confidence on yourself, or you base your confidence on Jesus. The fact that you are here tonight with ash on your flesh and confession on your lips and repentance in your heart suggest that you have chosen to kneel beside the Tax Collector; it suggests that you have decided to base your confidence on Jesus. Therefore, you will be happy to hear what Jesus says about the Tax Collector and all who kneel beside him, “14 I tell you this man (and these people) went home justified before God”.
If you were to die tonight and found yourself standing before the judgement seat of the all-knowing God and He fastenes His all-seeing eyes on you, look to Jesus who in His mercy has justified you before God and you will be confident about your eternal salvation.