Comparing: "Thanksgiving Twist" 11-17-24

Overview

A Thanksgiving Twist: The Heart Behind Our Gratitude

In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus tells a parable about two men who went up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee, known for his piety, prays a self-congratulatory prayer: "God, I thank you that I am not like other people." He lists the sins he avoids and the disciplines he keeps. The tax collector, a man despised in his society, will not even lift his eyes to heaven. He beats his breast and cries, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Jesus declares that this second man went home justified.

What is at the heart of the Pharisee's negative example? On the surface it appears to be comparison—but the deeper problem is pride-infected comparison. Comparison itself is not always sinful. Jesus compares the rich givers with the poor widow in Luke 21:1–4, commending her sacrifice. He compares Mary with Martha in Luke 10:38–42, affirming that Mary chose the better portion. Paul invites believers to "be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" 1 Corinthians 11:1, and Hebrews calls us to imitate "those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" Hebrews 6:12. You cannot imitate someone you have not first compared yourself to. The issue, then, is not whether we compare but how and why we compare.

The tax collector's gesture is striking. Beating the breast appears only one other place in Scripture—in Luke 23:48, where the crowds beat their breasts at the crucifixion of Jesus. The Greek word for "be merciful" the tax collector uses appears only one other time in the New Testament, in Hebrews 2:17, where Jesus becomes a "merciful and faithful high priest…to make propitiation for the sins of the people." The tax collector is not asking for general kindness; he is pleading for atonement. And that is precisely what Christ accomplished at the cross—taking upon Himself the sin of the world, paying the debt in full so that sinners might be declared righteous as if they had never sinned.

Living in light of this gospel transforms our comparisons. Rather than puffing ourselves up at others' expense, we can look at the unique gifts God has given our neighbors and give thanks. Rather than envying those with larger stages or wider spheres of influence, we can rejoice in the particular calling God has providentially placed on each of our lives. Rather than smugness when others struggle, we are moved to servanthood. And as we compare ourselves to Christ Himself, we are driven both to repentance and to thanksgiving—grateful that God uses Word and Sacrament to chisel us, slowly making us more like our Savior. In this way, our whole lives become a thank-you note to God.

Transcript

Would you open your Bibles please with me to Luke the 18th chapter for our study today? 3s

If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture you're going to find that page 70 in 9s

the New Testament the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. 13s

We continue today our sermon series on thank you notes, extending all through this great 18s

month of November. 24s

We're examining various portions of Scripture in thank you that is given to God. 25s

We've studied giving thanks for the goodness of God. 35s

Last week we studied about how God births in us to be the fragrance of Christ, what a beautiful 39s

passage. 46s

Well, did I want to do something a little bit different in that? 47s

I want to look at a negative example of giving thanks to God. 50s

A negative example. 56s

That's why the sermon title is thanksgiving twist. 57s

We're going to twist it this week and we're going to take a look at a negative example 60s

of giving thanks to God and the question I want to pose is this. 65s

What's at the heart? 71s

What's at the heart of the negative example in our text? 73s

What's in the heart of it? 80s

And I think what we're going to discover is that it goes deeper than what we may think. 84s

Look on the please. 94s

At chapter 18 beginning with verse 9. 96s

Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded 100s

others with contempt. 108s

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one of Pharisee and the other, the text collector. 109s

This is a parable, remember the meaning of a parable and earthly story with a heavenly meaning. 119s

Jesus told stories all the time in his ministry and he would take the common occurrences, 125s

the common images and he would attach to it a spiritual truth. 134s

So he tells this earthly story with a heavenly meaning and he tells about two men. 140s

One is a Pharisee. 147s

A Pharisee in the day would have been known for his piety. 149s

The text collector would simply have been hated. 156s

Tax collectors in ancient day they had a certain amount that they had to turn into the government. 162s

Anything else that they could extract from someone they were taxing wound up in their own pocket. 169s

So you come along with your card. It's got four wheels. You run into the text collector. The text collector says, 177s

I'm taxing all four wheels. 182s

Certain amount goes into the government. The rest goes right into his pocket. 185s

Tax collectors were hated, hated in ancient day. Remember when we studied about the 193s

Zacchaeus? Zacchaeus, small of stature, he was a tax collector and he wants to see Jesus and so 199s

Zacchaeus goes into the tree to see Jesus. It's a very wise place for him to be. 206s

When there's a crowd, is a tax collector doesn't want to be in the middle of a crowd. 214s

Things would just happen. 220s

So you've got an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. You've got two people. 224s

You've got the Pharisee known for the piety. You've got the tax collector who's hated. 228s

Scripture tells us that they went up to the temple to pray. That tells us it's either nine in the 233s

morning or three in the afternoon. We don't know which, but we know it's one of those two. 241s

Is that's when they would pray in ancient day. So it's either nine or three. 247s

Then a prayer is given. 254s

Look at me, please. Verse 11. 257s

The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus. God, I thank you that I'm not like other people. 263s

That's a fascinating prayer. Isn't it? 275s

I mean, that's a fascinating. It's really a prayer of self-congregulations. Isn't it? 278s

A self-congregulatory prayer. I think of the method of praying called acts, perhaps you use it. 283s

It's just a little way to help outline prayers, A for adoration of God, C for confession, 294s

S at the end for supplication. And the T is for Thanksgiving. 305s

Notice what the Thanksgiving is here with regard to the Pharisee. God, I thank you 313s

that I'm not like other people. And then he goes on to list the other people. 321s

That he's thankful. He's not like thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this, 331s

text collector. Then he goes on to list his attributes. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of all 340s

of my income. That's a negative example of a Thanksgiving prayer, isn't it? It's a negative example. 350s

And what's it the heart of it? Comparing, right? Comparing. Right? Or does it go deeper than that? 361s

Does it go deeper than that? 382s

I think of Luke the 21st chapter. There it says that Jesus was there at the temple. 388s

It says he looked up verse one and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasure treasury. 401s

He also saw poor widow put in two small copper coins. You have the picture there. 408s

He's in the temple area. People are putting their offerings. And Jesus is just watching. 418s

He also saw poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, truly, I tell you, 429s

this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all of them have contributed out of their 435s

abundance, but she, out of her poverty, has put in all she had to live on. 444s

What's Jesus doing? He's making a comparison, isn't he? 456s

He's comparing the rich who are just giving out of their abundance with the poor woman. 464s

Well, literally gives all that she has. He's making a comparison between the two. 474s

In Luke the 10th chapter. You've got the story of Mary and Martha. 485s

Jesus comes over to the home. Martha is really busy getting everything ready. What is Mary do? 489s

Mary sits and listens to Jesus. Martha gets upset about that. Goes to Jesus because she's all 496s

angry at the fact that her sister isn't doing anything, but listening to Jesus. And she wants Jesus 503s

to rectify the situation and Jesus tells Martha Martha. Mary's chosen the better portion. 510s

Now, what's the Korean there? God is making a comparison. 522s

Comparing Mary with Martha. The writer of Hebrews says that we are to be imitators of those who 531s

through faith and patience inherit the promises. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11. He says, 543s

be imitators of me as I am of Christ. You can't imitate somebody if you don't compare yourself 552s

with them. We're called them to imitate, but you can't imitate unless you compare 566s

to somebody. How that person talks, how that person acts, what that person does and you compare it to your 576s

own life. And you look at that other person and you say, I want to be more like that person. 587s

In how they speak, how they act, how they how they comport themselves. I want I want to be more like 596s

think that person. You can't imitate someone. If you don't compare yourself to them. Here's the point. 604s

Comparing with others is an always bad. Sometimes it can be good. Comparing with others 621s

isn't always bad. Sometimes it can be good. You see what can possess, what can possess, 640s

comparing is pride. That's the problem with the Pharisee. The problem with the Pharisee 654s

was a pride infected comparison. That's the problem. You come then to the second prayer. 665s

Verse 13. But the tax collector standing far off would not even look up to heaven 687s

but was beating his breast and saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 701s

The tax collector was fully aware of his sinfulness. He was fully aware of his unworthiness. 713s

And he was beating his breast. That is a gesture that communicates the depth of English. 726s

There is only one other time recorded in Scripture where it says there was the beating of the 737s

breast. Only one other time in the whole Bible where that's referenced. You know where it is? 749s

Luke 23 and when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, 763s

they returned home, beating their breasts. What's the spectacle? 773s

Jesus being crucified. That's only other example in the Bible of the beating of the breast. 783s

And it was a gesture that communicated as they beat their breasts, that their sinfulness, 795s

their evil inside of them comes from the heart and in English they beat the breast. 801s

The tax collector prays and beats his breast. 816s

And what does the tax collector ask? He says, God be merciful to me a sinner. 824s

Okay. The only other time that that particular word for mercy is used, it's only used one other time 830s

in the whole New Testament, one other time. And guess it's who who is in association with. 843s

Jesus. Hebrews the second chapter. It says, therefore, He, Jesus, had to become like his brothers 853s

and sisters in every respect so that he might be a merciful. It's the same word for merciful there. 863s

And faithful, high priest in the service of God to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins 873s

of the people. So it's the word for merciful and it's attached to the atonement of Christ. 881s

When the tax collector is praying and beating his breast, when he's acknowledging the sin and 889s

the evil in his heart, when he cries out for mercy, he's not crying for general mercy from God. 896s

Uh, he's crying for atonement to be made for his sin. He's crying that there be a payment 904s

from another for his sin. He's crying for atonement. And that's exactly what Jesus does. 917s

When Jesus goes to the cross, He took all of that tax collectors sin upon him, all of it. 933s

All of that, which He beat his breast for. Took all of the sin and He paid for it on the cross. 945s

And beloved on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ took all of your sin. All of it. 955s

All the sin that perhaps you beat your breast over. All of it. All of the sin, all of the evil 967s

that comes from the heart, He paid for it on the cross. The spotless righteous lamb of God 978s

for sinful humanity. He paid the debt for the entire world. Everyone that's already lived, 988s

lives or will live. He paid for it on the cross and affected an atonement. 995s

Jesus says verse 14, I tell you, this man went down to his home justified. 1007s

What does justified mean? He made justice if you never sinned. I tell you, this man went down to his home 1015s

justified rather than the others for all who exalt themselves, who will be humbled, but all who humble 1023s

themselves will be exalted. That's God's gracious action in the life of the tax collector. That's 1028s

God's gracious action in our lives where He brings us to the point of the awareness and acknowledgement 1039s

of our own sin. Repentance is a gift of God. He brings us, He humbles us in the reality of who we are 1046s

as sinners in need of the grace of God. And we hear the sweet glorious gospel 1057s

that our sins have been atoned for that we are forgiven, that the tomb is empty. 1069s

By God's grace then we have the joy of living each and every day in light of the gospel. 1082s

An aspect of the meaning of that is we then can compare. We can compare ourselves with others, 1098s

but it is not a prideful sinful comparison. It's a godly comparison. 1113s

You see to say, don't compare yourselves with others. It's too simple. It's too simple. It doesn't 1126s

have the full biblical picture because the Bible calls us to compare ourselves with others. 1130s

There's a sinful manifestation of that. Absolutely. There's a godly manifestation of that. 1137s

And in light of the gospel we can live in godly comparison with others. We are all uniquely gifted. 1144s

We're all uniquely gifted. We know that. We compare ourselves with others and there gives all the time. Don't wait. 1160s

And it could be a godly comparison. Because we can look at the other and be reminded 1171s

that God has created each one of us uniquely. He threw away the mold when he created us. 1181s

We are all uniquely gifted. And instead of a prideful examination of our neighbor and trying to 1187s

desperately puff ourselves up that somehow we're more gifted than the other. We can look at the 1197s

neighbor and their gifts and rejoice and give thanks to God that God has given them that gift mix 1205s

for the purpose that God has placed them on this planet to give him glory and to minister to others 1212s

that brings him glory. You see, that's godly comparison that turns into a thank you note. 1221s

Thank you note to God. God places all of us on different size stages. 1229s

Some have humongous stages, some have very small stages, some have huge spheres of influence. 1241s

And others have much smaller spheres of influence. And we can look at one another and the light 1247s

in whatever stage would ever roll, the Lord has placed us in or on. 1255s

We can delight in that. And we can give thanks to God for that because God and His providence 1262s

has orchestrated the ministry for each one of us. And instead of a prideful comparison 1267s

with others who may have a bigger stage than us, we can look at that and give thanks. 1278s

For however, God has orchestrated it in His providence. And whatever sphere of influence 1285s

He has given us, we can give thanks for our unique calling in all of history. 1291s

And the comparison, what gets abandoned is a prideful type of elevating oneself so that we desperately 1300s

feel that we're either a success or whatever word you want to put on it. And we can live 1312s

into the faithfulness of the uniqueness of the calling that God has given to us. That's godly, 1322s

that's godly comparison. 1331s

At the heart of godly comparison is adoration to God and that expresses itself 1338s

in servanthood. See that means that we can look at others when they go through struggles. 1352s

And instead of the smugginess that can sneak in when we say, 1362s

my, my, they sure made a mess out of their life. Instead of the smugginess that can 1370s

sneak into life, we can see the other as an opportunity to encourage and to serve because 1377s

that's rooted in what? That's rooted in a godly comparison. It's not rooted in a comparison 1384s

where we're trying to desperately convince ourselves what wonderful people we are. We're not. 1390s

But we've been claimed by the grace of God. We belong to God and God in his omnipotence and 1397s

providence here. Use as us and we can look at others in their struggles not with smugginess 1407s

but with the call to service. God continues to lift up to us. The Lord Jesus Christ 1416s

and we compare ourselves to Jesus. And that leads to repentance and it leads to thanks giving 1428s

because we give thanks that God is constantly in our lives the word and sacrament 1438s

to chisel us to make us more and more like Christ and we will never arrive this side of heaven. 1446s

We can give thanks to God as we compare ourselves to Christ that Christ is at work in our lives 1455s

to change us each and every day. We can give thanks for those who are more spiritually mature. 1464s

We can give thanks for them because they become people that we say I want to be like them. 1475s

I want to be like them in their faith. I want a mature in that faith. We can look at those 1483s

who are more mature in the faith and the comparison becomes then the launching pad for 1490s

thanks giving to God that God is at work to mature us in the faith. That's godly comparison. 1499s

Comparing yourself with others it's not necessarily sinful. The problem with the Pharisee was 1519s

a godly way to others. Our lives then become a lived out, thinking out to God. 1543s

And what God is at work in their lives and ours. 1563s