How Do You Approach God?

Luke 18 

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I 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 all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The fact that two men went up to temple to pray was a good thing.  It was their attitude toward God and themselves made all the difference in the world. First, let's look at the Pharisee. He spends all his time comparing himself to others, who he considers sinners.  Then, rather than focusing on his own sin, he justifies himself by citing all the righteous things he does. So his basic stance is that he is not as bad as others, and he is confident that if he was his own righteousness would more than make up or it.     

By contrast the tax collector realized he was standing in the presence of a Holy God.  He didn't even feel worthy to approach God.  He did not focus on others lives, but on his own relationship with God.  Rather than comparing himself to others, he realized his own sinfulness and only pleaded with God for mercy.  

The Pharisee relied on his own religiosity, and viewed his life in relationship to others, especially the sinful tax collector.  The tax collector viewed his life in relationship to God and God's standards. The Pharisee overestimated his view of himself and underestimated God's holiness.  The tax collector correctly estimated his view of Himself because he correctly estimated God.  

What can this mean for us?  The more we focus on who God is, the more we will see ourselves for who we really are. We will realize that our good deeds don't make up for our bad deeds.  Unless we recognize who we are before God, we cannot ask God for mercy.  If we don't ask God for mercy we won't get it. Our relationship with God will not be based on his mercy and great love for us which he showed us when he sent His only Son to die on a cross.  If we are not that bad, we won't see our need for a Savior.

On what do you base your relationship with God?  Do you say, "Thank God I am not like the tax collector! Look at all the things I do for God" Or, "God I am not much different than the tax collector. Have mercy on me a sinner in need of your mercy!" 

If we get this part right, all of our good deeds will flow from God's great mercy and will show the world the true Christian faith.