Luke 17 - Preparing for the King

And we're doing chapter 17, verse 20.

Once having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,

Jesus replied, the kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,

nor will people say, here it is or there it is, because the kingdom of God is within you.

Then he said to his disciples, the time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man,

but you will not see it. Men will tell you, there he is, or here he is.

Do not go running off after them, for the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning,

which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.

But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Just as was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.

People were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given up, giving in marriage up,

to the days of Noah and to the ark.

Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

It was the same in the days of Lot.

People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

It will be just like this on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

On that day, no one who is on the roof of his house with his goods inside should go down and get them.

Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.

Remember Lot's wife.

Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it.

Whoever loses his life will preserve it.

I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed.

One will be taken and the other left.

Two women will be grinding grain together.

One will be taken, the other left.

Where, Lord? they asked.

He replied,

Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

He said,

In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.

And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea,

Grant me justice against my adversary.

For some time he refused, but finally he said to himself,

Even though I don't fear God or care about men,

yet because this widow keeps bothering me,

I will see that she gets justice,

so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming.

And the Lord said,

Listen to what the unjust judge says.

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones,

who cry out to him day and night?

Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, he will see that they get justice and quickly.

However, when the Son of Man comes,

will he find faith on the earth?

To some who were confident of their own righteousness

and looked down on everybody else,

Jesus told this parable.

Two men went up to the temple to pray,

one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself.

God, I thank you that I am not like other men.

Robbers, evildoers, adulterers,

or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.

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.

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.

Thanks very much, Louise.

Again, if somebody could help me out here,

there's some notes and some pens.

Thank you very much, Ralph.

If you'd like a pen to take notes,

and a sheet of paper to follow along

with the notes that are on the screen,

then we'll do that now.

Just to remind us all that we've been going through

a series of parables from Luke's Gospel.

We've got one more next week,

and then we move into July and August,

when there will be other people

who will be coming to speak.

This morning, the focus will really be looking

at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

But we read what we did read,

just by way of context and background,

which I think will give us better understanding

of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Thanks, Ralph.

So, let's pray, and we'll ask for God's help

as we look at his word together.

Father, would you please help us,

help us to understand the word

that you have had written and preserved

and kept for us.

We pray that it would teach us and instruct us,

and it would change us to be the kind of people

that you call us to be in this time

and in this age.

And that if there is anything that we see in our lives

that need to be changed,

would you give us the grace to do so.

And we pray all of this

because we want to become more like Jesus,

so that we bring glory and honour to Jesus.

So, do your work amongst us

by your Holy Spirit's power, we pray.

Amen.

Well, Jewish rabbis or Jewish teachers had a story

that they used to tell to illustrate God's grace towards us.

The story went like this.

It was of a loving and kind king

who ruled over a very large city

of which he had a great army.

And the king was wondering to himself

whereabouts he should station his troops.

And after much thought and counsel with others,

he decided that he would station his troops

at a location that was some distance away from the city.

His reason?

Well, the king thought that if the people in the city

began to rebel against him,

it would take a long time for his troops

to get to the city.

In the interim, the rebels would have opportunity

to come to their senses,

back down,

and turn again to the king.

So their application was very simple.

God, in his grace,

keeps his judgment at a distance,

giving us time to repent

before he comes.

Now that's been the big theme

of the parables that we've been looking at together.

Jesus is going to come again,

and we must be prepared for his coming.

Now before we get to this parable

of the Pharisee and the tax collector,

there's something that Jesus is teaching us

that will help us to understand it

a little bit better.

The first thing he tells us

is that the king has come.

So have a look at chapter 17, verse 20.

Chapter 17, verse 20.

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees

when the kingdom of God would come,

so there's a dialogue going on,

and they're asking,

when's the kingdom going to come?

The people were expecting and longing

for God's kingdom to arrive.

It would be a kingdom

where God would execute justice,

and he would establish peace

and put everything right.

And so they longed for the coming

of God's king

who would establish

God's eternal kingdom.

So naturally there's this question,

when is the kingdom coming?

And when the kingdom comes,

when is the king going to come?

Well, look at how Jesus answers.

In verse 20, Jesus replied,

the kingdom of God does not come

with your careful observation.

Nor will people say,

here it is, or there it is.

You see, the kingdom isn't going to come

with this grand announcement.

It's not going to be on the six o'clock news,

or you're not going to get a message

on Facebook about it.

It's going to come silently.

In fact, look what Jesus says

at the end of verse 21.

He says,

the kingdom of God is within you.

Or better translated,

the kingdom of God is among you.

So Jesus is saying to these people

who are looking for the kingdom,

who are longing for the king to come,

Jesus is saying,

the king and the kingdom

has already come.

It's me.

It's here.

You've heard me teach.

You've seen all my miracles.

But yet you can't see

that the king has already come

among you.

Now that has a knock-on effect for us.

Because the king has come,

we are living in what is called

a time of grace.

This is a great big theme of Luke

through his gospel.

We read, don't we,

of many times where we see Jesus

coming and he's eating and drinking

with sinners and tax collectors.

He comes calling people like us

into his kingdom.

Repent and believe.

Receive the free gift of forgiveness.

Come into my kingdom.

I don't come for those who are healthy.

I come for the sick.

Not for the righteous,

but the unrighteous.

This is a time of grace.

Welcome, you sinners.

So because Jesus has now come,

we live in a time of grace.

But he also teaches us something else.

He says the king has come,

but the king will come.

Have a look at verse 22

of chapter 17.

Then he said to his disciples,

The time is coming

when you will long to see

one of the days of the Son of Man.

Remember, Son of Man is a title.

A title of a great king

who was to come

with absolute power

and supreme authority.

So he's saying,

you'll long to see the day

when the king comes,

but you will not see it.

Men will tell you,

there he is,

or here he is.

Do not go running after them.

Don't be fooled by people

who say,

I know when Jesus is coming.

I'm able to discern

when he's coming.

Verse 24.

For the Son of Man in his day

will be like the lightning

which flashes

and lights up the sky

from one end to the other.

You see, when Jesus returns,

it will be different

to his first coming

when it was silent,

but when the king returns,

everybody will know

without exception.

It will not be silent.

Nobody will need to be telling us.

It will be visible

just like a flash of lightning

across the dark sky.

Everybody will see

the coming of the king.

Now when the king comes,

it will not be

a time of grace,

but a time of judgment.

And he gives us two pictures

to show us

what it will be like.

Two characters

in the Old Testament.

The first one is Noah.

Look at verse 26.

Just as it was

in the days of Noah,

so also will it be

in the days

of the Son of Man.

People were eating,

drinking,

marrying,

and being given in marriage

up to the day

Noah entered the ark.

Everybody remember the story

going about their day-to-day lives?

Living and enjoying life,

getting married,

settling down,

having kids.

It was a time of grace.

God was giving people

time to turn to him,

to change of their ways.

But,

end of verse 27,

then the flood came

and destroyed

them all.

Judgment came

just

as God promised.

It was the same,

have a look at verse 28,

with Lot.

It was the same

in the days of Lot.

People were eating

and drinking,

buying and selling,

planting and building.

People were going off

to work,

choosing their careers,

off to college,

saving their monies,

buying homes,

upgrading,

doing all kinds of things.

It was a time of grace.

God was giving the city

time to turn to him,

to put things right.

But then,

verse 29,

the day Lot left Sodom,

fire and sulfur

rained down from heaven

and destroyed

them all.

Judgment came

just

as God promised.

Now you see,

what has happened

in the past

is just giving us

a glimpse

of what is

to come.

Verse 30,

it will be

just like this

on the day

the Son of Man

is revealed.

we'll be going

off to school

or to college.

You know,

we could be at work.

We could be sitting down

with our mates

having lunch.

We could be off

on our holidays.

We could be in the middle

of a soccer match.

Whatever

we're doing

or wherever

we are,

that day

will come

and it will be

a day of judgment.

But as Jesus

goes on to teach,

he wants us

to know

that he is

a just

judge.

You see,

the only reason

judgment

has not yet

come

is because

we're living

in this time

or this age

of grace.

The King

has come

urging,

calling people,

all nations,

all people,

come to me.

Come and know

my grace.

Come and receive

forgiveness.

You see,

God is a just

and fair judge.

Have a look

at chapter 18,

verse 7.

This is the parable

of the widow

and the unjust judge.

And what we're

to see here

is not a comparison

saying God is like

the unjust judge,

but a complete contrast.

God is not like

this unjust judge.

Verse 7.

And will not God

bring about justice

for his chosen ones

who cry out to him

day and night?

Will he keep

putting them off?

I tell you,

he will see

that they get justice

and quickly.

You see,

God is a God

of justice.

He sees

all that is going

on in this world

and he will not

let the injustices

keep going on.

God sees the 50,000

children,

boys and girls

who are trafficked

from South

and Central America

into the US

every year

for the sex trade.

He sees the hundreds

of thousands

men and women

who use

and abuse them.

God is not

immune to the

violence of ISIS

as they go on

beheading and

raping innocent people.

God hasn't

turned a blind eye

to the 220,000

people in Syria

who have been

murdered

and the other

11 million

who have been

displaced

in the last

five years

alone.

God sees

every one

of those

boats

that travel

across the

Mediterranean

looking

for somewhere

to rest.

Refugees.

God weeps

and mourns

over the 46,000

reports of

domestic abuse

in Ireland

every single

year

and the

countless

hundreds

who have

to be

rehomed.

God knows

about the

260 million

of unpaid

tax

in our

country

every year

which means

the most

vulnerable

suffer more

and more

because budgets

have to be

cut.

We only

see facts

and figures

but God

hears the

cry of

every act

of violence

and crime.

These are

not statistics

these are

people who

suffer at

the hands

of others

and God

cares

because God

is a God

of justice.

And God

will bring

his judgment

to this

world

because it

continues to

rebel and

behave the

way that it

does.

But let's

just bring

all of that

a little bit

closer.

We think

about what's

going on in

the world.

We think

about what's

going on in

the country.

But what

does God

see inside

here?

God sees

every unkind

act I

have committed.

He hears

every hurtful

word and

he knows

every single

selfish

motive.

He's seen

when we've

lost our

temper.

He's seen

when we've

said something

unkind.

You see

every single

one of us

well we've

all contributed

to this

broken and

disordered

world and

God looks

at the

world and

he looks

at all

that he's

made and

God is

grieved

that we

have hurt

each other

the way

that we

have done.

We deserve

God's

judgment but

this is a

time of

grace.

God is

giving us

time to

change how

we live,

how we

treat each

other.

He is

giving us

time to

turn to

his son

Jesus

Christ.

He is

treating

us with

grace

today

because

judgment

will

come.

And so

he is

saying we

need to

be prepared.

We need

to be

ready to

meet

the king.

Now all

of that is

background,

all of that

helps us to

understand why

then Jesus

goes on to

tell this

story of

the Pharisee

and the

tax

collector.

Let's

read it

in verse

nine.

You see

to some

who were

confident

of their

own

righteousness

and looked

down on

everybody

else,

Jesus told

this parable.

Two men

went up to

the temple

to pray,

one a

Pharisee,

the other

a tax

collector.

You see

Jesus through

this story

is warning

us of

the dangers

of ignoring

his grace

and the

blessing

of seeking

his grace.

What happens

if we ignore

his grace

and what we

receive if we

seek his

grace?

First,

ignoring his

grace,

verse 11,

the Pharisee

stood up

and prayed

about

or to

himself.

I mean,

this is how

arrogant

he is.

The Pharisee

as he arrives

in the

temple

gives the

impression

that he's

talking to

God,

that he's

praying to

his Father

in heaven,

but in

reality he's

actually talking

to himself.

He's not

asking God

for anything.

He's

reminding

himself

of how

self-righteous

he is.

He's saying

to himself,

look at

what I

am not

like.

Verse 11,

God,

I thank

you that

I am

not like

other men,

those robbers,

evildoers,

adulterers,

or even,

look at

them,

that tax

collector.

Lord,

I thank

you that

I'm not

like my

college

friend.

They

just don't

have time

for you.

God,

I thank

you that

I'm not

like the

guy in

work.

His

life is

in such

a mess.

Father,

I thank

you that

I have

not fallen

like the

one sitting

behind me.

I mean,

I don't want

to judge

them,

but you

know what

they're

like.

You see,

not only do

we take

pride in

what we

don't do,

we take

pride in

what we

do do.

Look at

what I

am like,

verse 12.

I fast

twice a

week and

I give

a tenth

of all

I get.

You know,

I was the

last one

here last

Sunday.

Everybody

else had

cleared off

and I

was still

cleaning up.

The church

gave 600

euro to

that mission.

That means

I must have

given,

let me

think,

what did

I give?

I must

have given

a third.

Yeah,

I did.

I gave a

lot,

didn't I?

Why am I

the only one

who seems

to be praying

in the

home group?

I must

be so

much more

spiritual

than those

other silent

ones.

You see,

we don't

like the

attitude of

the Pharisee,

do we?

But the

problem is

we all

compare and

contrast.

I'm not

like them.

I'm so

much better

than what

they're like.

Why can't

they be

like me

and do

things the

way I

do it

and have

the same

commitment

and attitude

that I

have?

It's all

self-justification.

It's arrogance.

It's all

about boosting

our own

egos.

And the

underlying

fact is

this.

When we

talk or

when we

think like

that,

all we're

saying is,

I don't

need God.

I don't

need grace.

Other people

do, but not

me.

I will face

God's

judgment on

my own

terms.

But there's

another way

to come.

Rather than

ignore his

grace, we

come seeking

his grace.

Verse 13.

But the

tax collector,

he stood

at a

distance.

He would

not even

look up

to heaven,

but beat

his breast.

You know,

the tax

collectors,

well, they

were considered

the lowest

of the low

in society.

There were

categories.

You had

sinners,

and then you

had tax

collectors at

the bottom

of the pile.

No

hopers.

But rather

than ignore

grace,

he comes

seeking

grace.

Look at

verse 13

again.

Look at

his humble

approach.

He stood

at a

distance.

He wouldn't

even look

up to

heaven,

but beat

his breast.

There's no

bragging rights

here.

There's no

talk of

look at

what I'm

like or

look at

what I've

done.

There's no

comparing or

contrasting with

other people.

He sees

himself as

he truly

is.

He stands

back at a

distance.

He understands

he's

separated from

God.

He won't

look up

towards heaven.

He knows

he deserves

God's

just

judgment.

He

beats his

breast.

He is

truly

repentant

for all

that he

has done.

The tax

collector

sees himself

as God

sees him,

and he

humbly

accepts

that I

am a

sinner.

But he's

not just

humble,

is he?

He knows

what he

desperately

needs.

And that's

why he

comes

praying,

because he

comes

seeking.

Look at

the end

of verse

13.

God,

have

mercy on

me,

a sinner.

sinner.

He

brings

nothing

to God,

only his

sin.

He

blames

no one,

only

himself.

He

comes to

the one

who is

gracious,

full of

grace,

one who

acts in

grace,

and comes

seeking

his

mercy.

He

throws

himself

completely

at God.

have

mercy

on

me,

a

sinner.

And how

did God

respond to

these two

people?

Look at

verse 14.

I tell

you that

this man,

the tax

collector,

rather than

the other,

the Pharisee,

went home

justified

before God.

Do you

see the

difference

here?

The

Pharisee,

he wore

a mask.

He

hides

his

sin.

He

covers

over

his

sin.

He

takes

pride

in

all

that

he's

done.

On the

other hand,

the tax

collector,

well,

he's just

taken off

his mask.

He

owns

his

sin

for

himself.

He

confesses

his

sin.

He

relies

on

God's

grace.

And the

tax

collector

shows us

how we

are to

be

prepared

to meet

the

coming

king.

This

is the

person

who will

be welcomed

into the

king's

kingdom.

Verse

14,

or the

end of

verse 14,

for everyone

who exalts

himself

will be

humbled,

and he

who

humbles

himself

will be

exalted.

You see,

the point

is so

simple.

We

either

humble

ourselves

today

before

God

and

experience

his

wonderful

grace

today,

or

he

will

humble

us

when

he

returns

in

judgment.

So

humble

ourselves

today

and

experience

his

grace

or

he

will

humble

us

when

we

experience

his

judgment.

Now

because

this is

a time

of

grace

in

which

we

live

in,

we

should

be

people

of

grace.

And

just by

way of

application

for us

in this,

just very

simply,

three things.

The way

in which

God's

grace

should

affect

us.

If we've

come to

experience

this

grace,

if we

come like

the tax

collector,

here's

three ways

it should

affect

us.

First,

we live

in God's

grace

every day.

The only

way to

come before

God is

like the

tax

collector.

There's

no room

for arrogant

pride.

There's

no place

for boasting.

We bring

only who

we are

as we

are.

We don't

blame other

people.

We don't

point the

finger at

other people

and say

it's their

fault.

No,

we come

as we

are,

owning

our own

sin and

resting

in the

rich

grace

of God.

And look

again at

verse 14.

What happens

when we

do that?

I tell

you that

this

person,

rather than

the other,

will go

home justified

before God.

When we

receive his

grace,

we enter

into a

renewed and

restored

relationship

with God.

That means

we no

longer have

to stand

at a

distance.

We are

now welcomed

and accepted

by God.

We no

longer have

to hide

from God

and cower.

We can

now enjoy

God,

love him

and be

with him.

Grace

means we

are now

treated and

treasured as

his own

son,

welcomed

into his

eternal

kingdom.

So live

in God's

grace today.

Enjoy

it.

Know

it.

But not

only do we

live in

it,

but it

also means

that we

treat each

other with

grace.

You see,

there is

no place

for the

Pharisee.

Look at

verse 9.

Chapter

18,

verse 9.

To some

who were

confident

of their

own

righteousness

and looked

down on

everybody

else.

You see,

we are

no better

or no

worse than

each other.

God's

grace.

Sometimes we

have come

to experience

God's

grace and

yes,

we have

seen God

change us

and transform

us and

the temptation

is to

suddenly think,

well,

I am

better than

those other

people.

Well,

we are no

better or

no worse.

We are all

responsible for

this broken

world in

which we

live.

So what

we need

is not

to condemn

each other

and point

fingers at

each other,

but to

bring grace

to each

other,

to remind

each other

that when

we fall

and when

we fail,

that we

live in a

time of

grace,

that now

is the

time to

come and

repent and

ask God

to pour

out his

mercy upon

us and

to help

us to

change and

help us

to live

as his

people.

We don't

drag each

other down

and condemn,

we build

each other

up with

the grace

of God.

So live

in his

grace,

treat each

other with

grace,

and then

offer grace

to the

world.

I think

that's the

big message

of this,

isn't it?

We live

in a day

of grace.

God has

delayed

his judgment.

He longs

that none

would perish,

but that all

would come

and turn

to him

just like

the tax

collector.

And so

we need

to be

people who

practice

grace and

who offer

grace to

our friends

and our

family,

to the

world who

has not

yet come

to know

the good

news of

Christ.

It's not

our job

to withhold

grace from

people.

It's not

our role to

say to

somebody,

you don't

deserve

grace.

That's what

Pharisees do.

No,

we're the

tax

collector

who has

received

God's

grace in

abundance.

And now

turn and

point other

people towards

Jesus so

that they

can also

know and

experience the

amazing grace

of God.

The king

has come.

Grace is

here.

The king

will come.

Judgment

awaits.

May we

live in

God's

grace today.

Let's pray.

Father,

would you

please,

by your

Holy Spirit,

take this

word that we

have thought

through and

listened to

and as we

leave this

building that

you would

continue to

work it

deep into

our hearts

and in

our lives.

and if

there is

any

pharisaic

aspect

in our

hearts

that you

would expose

it and you

would show

it and you

would turn

us quickly

into the

tax collector

who just

comes as we

are,

owning it,

admitting it,

ready to

deal with

it.

Father,

you are good

and gracious.

We know

that you

will not

turn us

away,

but you

will forgive.

You will

change and

you will

restore.

And so we

long for

more and

more of

your grace

in our

lives every

day.

asking that

you would

help us

to go

into the

community,

into our

workplaces

with our

colleagues

that we

think about,

with friends

and with

family.

Help us

to point

other people

to the

King of

Grace.

Father,

please,

by your

Spirit,

use us

to bring

people to

yourself.

For we

know you

are a

just

God,

and one

day you

will

come.

Please

make us

prepared and

ready.

We ask

this for

your glory.

Amen.