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Lesson 70 |
Lesson Subject: The Peril of Spiritual Pride
Lesson Plan
The Pharisee’s Prayer (Lk. 18:9-12)
The Publican’s Prayer (Lk. 18:13, 14; Mat. 23:12; Lk. 14:11)
The Publican Zacchaeus and His Unexpected Honor (Lk. 19:1-7)
The Conversion of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:8-10)
Lesson Setting
Time: The parable of the Pharisee and publican was probably spoken on
the way down to Jerusalem for the last Passover, in March, A.D. 30. The visit to Jericho
and conversion of Zacchaeus probably took place during the week preceding Passion Week,
about March 30.
Place: Perea and Jericho.
Two bad men and how they became good
Who were the publicans?
The Roman senate farmed out the taxes to capitalists in Rome, who had them collected by local tax-gatherers, publicans. Each tax-gatherer had a few subordinate collectors working for him. Zacchaeus was probably a publican of the higher order; Matthew, a sub-collector. The publicans could assess the value of property as they pleased, often assessing it far too high. They often levied blackmail by making false charges of attempts to evade payment of taxes. Each collector kept what he dared before passing on the receipts to those higher up. Publicans were considered thieves by most; but if Jewish they were hated even more, because they were instruments of Roman oppression. The Jews usually classed them with sinners and harlots, and to eat and drink with them was considered to be out of the question, not only for a rabbi expecting to be looked up to, but for all decent people.
What was Christ’s relation to publicans, and why?
He was the friend of these outcasts, as He was the friend of harlots. He dined at their houses. He was ready to talk with them on the streets nd walk with them. They flocked to hear Him preach. In His teachings He did not hesitate to show that they could enter His kingdom, if only they would. Jesus did this, not to condone the sins of publicans or the evils of the Roman government, but to rebuke the proud exclusiveness of the Pharisee, and to illustrate the forgiving love of God, proving His purpose in coming to earth. The two incidents which we are to study are therefore of fundamental importance in the Life of Christ.
Scripture
Reading: Luke 18:9-12 (KJV) Who were Christ’s bitterest enemies?
Those who ...
18:9 ... “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” Among them the Pharisees were chief. The Pharisees, as their name, ‘Perushim,’ implies, were, before all things, men who insisted on their separation from others. They came into existence as a distinct religious sect under the High Priesthood of Jonathan about a century and a half before the birth of Christ. Their ruling idea was the duty of avoiding all involvement with, all assimilation to the ways of, the unbelieving world. This was the fundamental reason for their austerity and their strict observances, and their patriotism and reputation for holiness won them great influence. Though the name is now suspect, still the principles of Pharisaism have been maintained down to the present day; and it is believed that this, more than anything else, has kept Judaism alive.
What is self-righteousness, and what harm comes from it?
Self-righteousness consists, not so much in thinking one’s self to be good as in thinking one’s self to be good enough. “The rabbis invented the most high-flown designations for each other, such as ‘Light of Israel,’ ‘Uprooter of Mountains,’ ‘The Glory of the Law,’ ‘The Holy,’ etc.; but they described the vast mass of their fellow countrymen as ‘accursed’ for not knowing the law (John 7:49), and spoke of them as ‘empty cisterns,’ ‘people of the earth,’ etc.” (Cambridge Bible). Self-satisfaction cuts us off from God’s soul-training lessons in holiness. The pride of ignorance is like the stopper in an empty bottle, rendering empty vacuum inaccessible.
What picture did Christ present in His parable?
A picture of two men, a Pharisee and a publican, going up to the temple to pray. They went up to the temple, “from the lower city to Mount Moriah, the ‘Hill of the House,’ on which the temple stood” (Int. Crit. Com.). Perhaps they went at one of the hours of prayer, such as twelve o’ clock (Acts 10:9) or three o’clock (Acts 3:1). They both stood up as they prayed, which was the usual attitude of prayer among the Jews. “Kneeling and standing are indifferent, if the knee of the soul be bent, and the heart upright towards God” (Whitefield).
What was the Pharisee's prayer?
Why was this prayer a failure?
Because it was all about himself. “I thank God,” “I am not,” “I fast,” “I give,” “I possess.”
When do we show the spirit of the Pharisee’s prayer?
When we look more to the duties we perform than to the spirit and motive from which they spring; when we become satisfied with ourselves because we do certain things which others might not do, and when in place of lowliness and charity our ‘religion’ produces self-complacency, i.e., either a hard contempt or compassionate patronage of other people. Many prayers remind one of a quotation from William Barclay, describing a certain prayer as “the most eloquent prayer ever offered to a Boston audience.” “Failure to be thoughtful to the lowest of the low among us speaks of vulgarity, producing a social Pharisee” (Frances Tyner).
Scripture Reading: Luke 18:13, 14 (KJV)
How did the publican show his humility and contrition?
What was the publicans prayer?
A very short one, perhaps repeated over and over ...
18:13 ... “God be merciful to me a sinner,” literally, the sinner. A short prayer is better than a long one (Matt. 6:7, 8; 23:14). “Also,prayers should be directed, not to ourselves, nor to the audience, but to God” (Coffman). This man did not say, “Nature be merciful,” or “Laws of my constitution be merciful,” or “Society be merciful,” or “I will be merciful to myself,” but “GOD be merciful!” Also, he did not say, “God be merciful to sin in general,” but “to me a sinner.” The publican did call sin by its right name. We can play with words, but likewise words will eventually take their turn and play with us. An ambiguous name given to a bad thing saps from the bad thing its essential ugliness. For instance, “prevarication” instead of “life;” “conjugal infidelity” instead of “adultery;” and “theft” cuts closer to the marrow than “embezzlement,” though less specific.
Why should we pray like the publican?
Because, like the publican, we are all sinners, and only God is able to determine the worse among us. Without a doubt, the greatest need of modern man is a sense of sin.
What was the result of the publican’s prayer?
The publican ...
18:14 ... “went down to his house justified rather than the other.” “Justified” means “treated as righteous” not “made righteous.” For a sinner it is equivalent to forgiveness. Since God resists the proud, it is certain that the Pharisee was not justified.
How can we gain the true humility which Christ praises (v 14)?
By truly understanding ourselves and recognizing the evil within us. A good topic for a sermon would be, “Remorse as a Lost Art.” Consider Judas. Whatever he lacked, he did have a genius for remorse. It was his rope.
Illustration
The cash box of a certain business firm was frequently tampered with and money
extracted. The cashier arranged a camera so that a slight pull on the cash drawer set off
the power, and a film was taken. The trap worked and when the film was shown, three boys
were caught in the act of opening the cash drawer. When confronted, they were overwhelmed
and confessed. Yet no inventor have has ever been to make an instrument as perfect in its
power to record sound, touch, form or fact as your heart’s memory.
Scripture Reading: Luke 19:1-7 (KJV) The scene shifts to the fair city of Jericho, with its palaces, palms and abundant growth of trees. The whole place was stirred with excitement. The company of those going up to the passover was in and of itself enough to provide much excitement, but it was greatly increased by the presence of Jesus Christ, the Prophet of Nazareth, whose miracles everyone was talking about. When Napoleon the Great was on his way to Russia, men, women, and children stood contentedly for days and nights, waiting to see him pass alone his way; and a story is told of a clergyman in the far north of Scotland, who trudged on foot all the way to London to see the Duke of Wellington, and when he had seen him he quietly thanked God and trudged home again, counting himself well rewarded. But of all the crowd thronging to see Jesus, only two, so far as we know, really saw Him -- the blind Bartimaeus and Zacchaeus!
What do we know about Zacchaeus?
Why did Zacchaeus want to see Jesus?
“Doubtless his riches increased the odium of his position, and being accustomed to contempt and hatred, he wished to see one who was not only a great prophet, but also kind to tax-gatherers and sinners” (Cambridge Bible).
How did Zacchaeus show his energy?
After repeated attempts (implied in the tense of the Greek verb, “sought”), he was prevented from seeing Jesus because of the great crowd and his small size. So, he ran on ahead of the crowd and scrambled up into a sycomore tree by the side of the road Jesus was sure to take. He had none of the false dignity which bars us from so many blessings. “This ‘sycamore’ is quite different from our sycomore. The word means ‘fig mulberry.’ Like the English oak, its shade is most pleasing; a favorite wayside tree. It is very easy to climb, with a short trunk, and wide lateral branches forking out in all directions” (Tristram). “I saw a good many sycomore trees growing near the ruins of Jericho ... The sycomore figs were growing in their strange way -- directly out of the trunk of the tree. It was a fruit disliked by most” (Frances Tyner).
How did Jesus single out Zacchaeus?
He called him by name, “Zacchaeus!” “The same eye that saw Nathanael under the fig-tree saw Zacchaeus in the sycomore; and, seeing in secret, knew without being told the names of both” (Maclaren).
19:5 ... “Make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.” The Lord accepted many invitations into the houses of men, but Zacchaeus is the only one we read about who was honored by Jesus offering Himself to his hospitality. Say what we will about Zacchaeus seeking Jesus, the truth is, Jesus was seeking Zacchaeus.
What invitation like this does Jesus give us?
He is always standing at the door of our hearts and knocking. His word to us is always, “Come unto Me; let Me come unto you.”
How did Zacchaeus receive the honor?
There was just one little man named Zacchaeus in the tree. And the little man answered to his name, and, no doubt quicker than the time it takes to read this, he came down to meet the Savior -- isn’t that what salvation is all about? Meeting the Savior? “Did you ever think that it was now or never with this publican; that Jesus Christ was never to go through the streets of Jericho any more; that it was Zacchaeus’s last chance? A rabbi said, when they asked him when a man should repent, ‘Repent on the last day of your lives.’ And they said, ‘But we do not know when that will be.’ And he said, ‘Then repent now.'" (Maclaren).
How did the bystanders receive Christ’s act?
19:7 ... “They all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner.” Had Jesus been intent on being popular, He would not have cast His eyes on the sycomore. Perhaps they also murmured, “He could have chosen someone else to be his host. After all, Jericho is a city of many priests as well as publicans.” “The Talmudists tell us that there were almost as many priests there as at Jerusalem itself” (Trench).
What probably happened in Zacchaeus’s home?
The little company would arrive, the master of the house proud and excited. He would give hurried orders for a fine meal. While it was preparing, perhaps Jesus and Zacchaeus enjoyed a quiet conversation.
Scripture Reading: Luke 19:8-10 (KJV) In what way did Zacchaeus make his great confession?
He did not whisper it in Christ’s ear. He did not wait until he and Christ were alone. Immediately, and before the entire crowd, he determined that if Jesus thought he was worthy of His company, then he would make himself worthy. He stood up boldly, and spoke out.
What promises did Zacchaeus make?
19:8 ... “taken anything from any man by false accusation,” that is, by alleging that someone was concealing property and income, thus defraud the taxes -- a type of blackmail. This was all the law required of a thief caught and punished (Ex. 22:1). In a case of voluntary restitution it was enough to restore the property with the addition of one-fifth of its value (Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:7).
How did this statement by Zacchaeus show his conversion?
“The one test of a true reception of Christ is the abandonment of past evil and restitution for it as far as possible” (Maclaren). Zacchaeus met this practical test.
How did Jesus accept Zacchaeus?
By declaring ...
19:9 ... “This day is salvation come to this house,” to the whole family in the person of the head. By adding that Zacchaeus (though a Jewish publican was considered to have lost his privileges as a descendent from Abraham) had by this act of charity, contrition, and restitution, won his restoration and the right to be added to the number of Abraham’s true children.
What great statement of His mission did Christ make?
19:10 ... “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” -- like Zacchaeus!
Illustration
Dr. Frank Pack once compared the work of Christ to that of a geologist, who
gathers up the rough and crumbling fragments of ancient animals, and with endless pains
pieces them together till at last they are restored to their former shape. So Christ
toiled among the wrecks of our humanity, and breathed into them the breath of life.
How can Christ’s mission of saving the lost be accomplished?
Only through the activity of Christ’s disciples who are filled with His Spirit. “How to reach the masses seems to be very simple in the light of the example of Jesus: it is to go where they are for the express purpose of reaching them” (Fred B. Walker). It was the manifested fellowship of the Son of man that brought salvation to Zacchaeus’ house. When we live the gospel, and preach the gospel, sinner will be brought to God.
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