“Protesting Our Innocence” – The Calvary Road
Luke 18:9-14 & Luke 19:28-40
April 4, 2004 – Palm Sunday
Purpose: We can continue to protest our innocence, to be the Pharisee who fails to look upon his own short-comings, only to find ourselves unblessed, spiritually dry, and out of touch with God. Or we can experience continual revival in our hearts, when we come before God in humility, asking for the forgiveness that he has continually promised to give. Adapted from Hession’s book entitled, “The Calvary Road.”
INTRODUCTION
Seven days changed the world. The heart of our Christian faith, the topic of a million publications, countless debates and thousands of films, the inspiration for the greatest painters, the most skilled architects and the most gifted musicians…found their source in these next seven days.
Today…we celebrate a triumphant entry in Jerusalem…people yelling Hosanna…crowds coming to experience this Jesus.
On Monday, Jesus entered the temple and upturned the thieving money-changers and conniving merchants…the temple had become a place of ill-gotten profit, not a house of prayer…
On Tuesday, Jesus taught his disciples and those who would hear about true faith, unlike that of the religious leaders of that day.
On Wednesday, although the Gospels are silent, we can assume that as Jesus continued to preach, the Pharisees began to plan his demise.
On Thursday, in an upper room, Jesus gave the Passover meal a new meaning for his disciples. No longer would they remember just the Exodus from Egypt, now they (and we) would remember Jesus’ broken body and shed blood.
On Friday, following Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, imprisonment, the disciples desertion, false trials, denial, condemnation, beatings and sentencing, Jesus carried his own cross to the “Place of the Skull” – Golgatha and there died a horrible death…
On Saturday, Jesus lay dead in a tomb…
And on the first Easter Sunday, the stone was rolled away from that tomb…and through appearances to Mary, to Peter, to the two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus, and to the 11 disciples gathered in a locked room, Jesus established his resurrection as fact.
Jesus knew that it would be these seven days that people would remember. He knew that we would be right here, in this place, remembering…
But he also knew that his disciples needed to be prepared for what was about to happen.
It should come as no surprise to us then that Jesus told this parable of an egotistic Pharisee and a humble tax collector both praying in the same temple, presumably to the same God, just before these seven days began.
I. First, let’s look at the Pharisee…
The Pharisee came with a full hand, with a hand that couldn’t miss, a hand that was a sure winner. He came before God confident that he was going to have a breakthrough, a deliverance, a revelation from the Lord. The Pharisee was coming before God with a great resume that would win him the position undoubtedly – all others need not apply!
Illus. the lion and the elephant…
It happened in the jungle one day. A lion with a big ego went around asking the other animals who the king of the jungle was. “Who’s the king of jungle?,” the lion roared at a monkey. “Why…you are, Mr. Lion,” said the monkey with fear in his voice.
The lion went on and found a zebra. “Who’s the king of jungle?,” he snarled. “There is no doubt about it…you are Mr. Lion,” said the zebra.
Seeing a turtle crossing his path the lion bellowed, “Who’s the king of the jungle?” Scared out of his shell the turtle said, “You are Mr. Lion. You are the king of the jungle.”
Then the lion came upon an elephant. Again, he roared out the question, “Who’s the king of jungle?” But the elephant did not answer. Instead, the elephant used his trunk to grab the lion by his tail. He spun him around over his hand several times, dunked him in a mud hole, and slammed him into a large tree.
Dazed and dirty the lion said, “Just because you didn’t know the correct answer was no reason to get upset.”
There is nothing wrong with self-confidence but when it exalts us above everyone and everything else then a problem is created. The problem is that we have exalted ourselves not God.
Have you ever heard the Shakespearean phrase “Me thinks thou protests too much…” It’s often used when someone is trying so hard to hide their guilt so much that they seem to go overboard with their explanations.
Hear the prayer of the Pharisee one more time, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithe of all that I possess….” – Makes me wonder exactly what this guy is hiding or maybe worse, what sin he has that he doesn’t even see.
II. Which brings us to the second person praying, the humbled tax collector…
Harold Simpson (www.sermoncentral.com, “Justified Before God, Part II) put the scene in the context of a poker game…
”While the Pharisee came with full house in his hand, the tax collector came with his hand full but with junk. He had a loser’s hand. But he didn’t how to fold or have the courage to do so.
When the Pharisee prayed or what he called praying, he raised the stakes and the tax collector had to see it or fold. Either he would win the entire pot or he would lose it all.
The Pharisee with his proud-overconfident-self-righteous self threw his cards down revealing what was a winning hand. But the tax collector just kept his head down and picked up his cards revealing them to himself.
Seeing his cards he knew that he was beaten, and he hung his head in shame. But what they thought was a sign of utter hopelessness was much more than that. By those around, the Pharisee had won and he began reaching for the pot but he was stopped by humble words coming from his opponent – “ ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
The tax collector who was the worst of the lot, the lowest and rankest of sinners in his day, who had no hope whatsoever had things turn around for himself.
No longer were the skies gray and the rain clouds following him around. No longer was the night’s sky star-less. No longer was the air thick with pollution. No longer was that 800-pound gorilla sitting on his chest. He was justified before God because of his humility.
All the time he thought no one had given him a chance, God was there all the time with his mercy ready to be given to him and even to the Pharisee.
However, the Pharisee didn’t recognize he needed it. Me thinks HE protested too much…
III. This leaves us with only one character in this story, which is ourselves…
So often, we want to be associated with the crowd that praises Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. We want to wave our palm branches. We want to sing the praise songs. We want to lift up our heads and say, “Praise be to God for all that he has done for me.”
But in reality, if we are honest with ourselves, our words and actions are often more associated with the crowd yelling “Crucify…crucify…”
Me thinks there are times when WE protest too much.
Hession in “The Calvary Road” writes, “The simple truth is that the only beautiful thing about the Christian is Jesus Christ.” (p.102)
Jesus said in Mark 7 (v. 21-22) that “From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, la-sciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
In fact, the Bible says that we make God a liar if we do not recognize that sin is within us. (I John 1:10)
While the Pharisee in us yells to the world so that all can hear, “Thank God I am not like them…these things may be true of others, but definitely not of me.”
There’s also a part of us, that makes us lower our heads and beat our chests, that longs to be justified, to be made right, in the sight of God.
IV. This is the message of the seven days…this is the message of the cross…
“…for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
Jesus Christ died for that tax collector in all of us.
No one ever comes to a point of brokenness;
No one ever experiences pain, hurt or sorrow,
No one ever commits sin of any kind that can’t be healed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
All we need to do, is come before God, and humbly say, “…be merciful to me, for I am a sinner…” and the promises of “dwelling on high with Him” are secured.
But the choice remains ours. We can continue to protest our innocence, to be the Pharisee who fails to look upon his own short-comings, only to find ourselves unblessed, spiritually dry, and out of touch with God.
Or we can experience continual revival in our hearts, when we come before God in humility, asking for the forgiveness that he has continually promised to give.
CONCLUSION
As Jesus taught his disciples that day, just a day or two before entering Jerusalem, he told them the story of two men. They both stood before God. They both prayed. But only one truly received an answer to his prayer.
This morning if you’re looking for answers. I invite you to find that tax collector within you.
Stop protesting your innocence, God already knows better.
Stop trying so hard to convince one another of your faithfulness, we need to work at pleasing God instead.
Stop trying to shift the focus away from yourself, and let God shine the line of his truth in every aspect of your life.
As we walk, side by side, with Christ together down the Calvary Road, Christ’s Holy Spirit will be sure to point out those times when we’re acting more like selfish, conceited Pharisees than humble, contrite disciples.
And if we are willing, Christ will wash these Pharisaic movements from our lives, so that we may be drawn closer and closer to him.
This morning, I want to end my sermon a little differently…
If you’ll take your blue hymnal in front of you, and turn it to page #892…
Today, as a response to this message, I invite you to join me in this prayer of confession. My intent is not to make you feel guilt or shame, but to offer you an opportunity to make your fresh start today.
God is looking for some humble servants. Unfortunately, he probably has more than enough of those who aren’t. Let us strive for humbleness together, as we share in this prayer…
(prayer of confession, pardon and assurance)
Closing Song – #351 – Pass Me Not, O Gentile Savior
Benediction
Grant us, O Lord, that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts,
and that what we believe in our hearts, we may practice in our lives;
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
This sermon series is based on Roy Hession’s classic, “The Calvary Road” which can be purchased by calling Christian Literature Crusade (CLC) at 1.800.659.1240.
Note: If for any reason you did not find this sermon helpful or would like to make a comment or ask a question, please feel free to contact me at gb@clergy.net. Your input will help me personally and my congregation as I learn Spiritually and professionally.
