Luke 18:9-14<\/p>\n\n\n\n
October 28, 2007<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This past week, the Michelin Dining Guide rated the French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley with 3 stars. Other restaurants in the Bay Area received only one star. Stars are given out for quality of food, consistency in service, atmosphere, etc. Honestly, I have not been to any of these fancy restaurants yet! When a restaurant is awarded such an internationally recognized rating, reservations are needed, profits go up, and the chef at the French Laundry can begin to believe that he has a superior food selection over his rivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes I wonder if the Chinese Christian Union was to have a contest to determine which among its member churches would be the \u201cbest church in Chinatown,\u201d whether FCBC would be rated with 3 stars. Why not when we have successfully retrofitted and renovated our church building. We celebrated over 125 years of continuing ministry. We started a new worship service, experiencing a baby boom, and projecting the largest annual budget in the history of our church. Frankly, there are times when I think that we are the \u201cbest church in Chinatown!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May I dare say that a good portion of our congregation is made up of people \u201cwho trust in themselves that they are righteous and regard others with contempt.\u201d Speaking for myself and perhaps for my colleagues, a good portion of our pulpits contains the same types of people. We may like to think that we are the best in Chinatown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Parable<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Without being asked, Jesus tells this parable that we have become very familiar with. We have heard this story so many times before that there isn\u2019t any more surprise when we hear it again. From other stories that we have heard from Jesus, we quickly denigrate the Pharisee as the bad guy and identify with the tax collector. We want to end up in the story as exalted and justified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when we dig a bit deeper to understand the context in which Jesus told this parable, the Pharisees were in many ways the most admirable \u201csect\u201d within first century Judaism. They were known for their excellence in interpretation of scripture, their modest lifestyle, strong faith, and prayerful practice. They refused to swear allegiance to Caesar; they believed in the immortality of the soul and divine judgment after death, and they were widely respected. In short, they were models of serious religious folk, with a practiced faith that permeated every aspect of their lives. Sounds like people we can identify with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, their name is telling: \u201cPharisee\u201d means \u201cseparated one,\u201d denoting their aloofness from others, including other Jews. It was these religious folks who most opposed the followers of Jesus in the early years of the church. It was often the people on the margins of established communities, such as the tax collector, who became ardent followers of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strictly speaking, \u201ctax collector\u201d is a \u201ctoll collector\u201d who worked as an agent for a chief toll collector, a Jew who contracted with the Roman occupation to collect individual taxes such as tolls, tariffs, and customs. Because these chief toll collectors had to pre-pay the taxes to the Romans, they recouped their costs plus additional fees by employing other toll collectors to collect the money. But these tax collectors often practiced extortion and dishonesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now hear the parable as Jesus\u2019 disciples would: Once upon a time, there was a Pharisee, you know, a law-abiding, consistently good, observant Jew who stood alone in prayer. He glanced around, as humans want to do, and realized that compared to many he is a rather respectable person of faith. Into the temple walks a despicable sell-out, someone who trades his own kind to the enemy so he can make his wallet fat. It was not too great an accomplishment for the Pharisee to be more faithful than the tax collector, but he was glad that he was. The tax collector begged for mercy, and it was granted; the Pharisee\u2019s self-righteousness did not prove justifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the disciples heard this, they were shocked and surprised. Jesus does not dispute the toll collector\u2019s self-evaluation: the man is correct\u2014he is a \u201csinner.\u201d Jesus does not dispute the Pharisee\u2019s self-evaluation\u2014he does fast and give tithes, and in this respect he is different from the notorious \u201csinner\u201d whom he meets. But the one difference between the two is that the Pharisee was praying concerning himself\u2014that he was not like other people. His fixation on his own religious performance obstructs his communication with God. Distancing himself from all others, he distances himself from God as well, even as he feels himself to be closer to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tax collector on the other hand stands: \u201csome distance away,\u201d far away from God with his eyes downcast, beating his breast, and praying, \u201cGod be merciful to me, the sinner\u201d is significant, indicating that he sees himself as \u201cthe sinner\u201d the most despicable person present, the least worthy to pray. His prayer is to God, whereas that of the Pharisee is turned inward on himself. The tax collector is desperate and unable to rely on anything in his self, but the Pharisee is full of his own achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a surprising twist, Jesus concludes the parable by saying, \u201cI tell you, this tax collector went to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.\u201d The tax collector restores his relationship with God by asking for forgiveness, while the Pharisee moves farther away from God by boasting of his righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best In Chinatown<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We all want to belong to groups that are prestigious and well known. When we do, we are praying on the fact that by our membership and association in such recognized organizations that some of their positive traits would also define us as persons. If I dined at the French Laundry restaurant, I can say that I ate with VIPs; so I must be important too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As members and friends of FCBC, we can say that we are capable and competent because we have successfully retrofitted our church building. We can say that we are growing and becoming a \u201cmega\u201d church because we are experiencing a baby boom. We can say we are righteous and superior because year after year, we are blessed with resources and talents that are more than we can ever imagine in one place. Have we as a church trusted in more of our own abilities than we have trusted in God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we trust God, we get God. But when we trust only in ourselves, we get only ourselves. This was the mistake made by the Pharisee: he trusted only in himself by his fasting and tithing. He was in good behavior. But without humility, there was no way for him to be right with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we may still be the best church in Chinatown, we may be like the Pharisee who fails to see the image of God in the people around us. When we walk around Chinatown we meet up with people who are different from us\u2014different skin colors, different economic class, different languages-spoken, different body shapes, different dress, different faith expressions. Some of these differences repel us and we step back, just like the Pharisee moved away from the crowd, not wanting to associate with unclean people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But these differences are all superficial, and most don\u2019t reflect the true nature of a person. The really deep truth about a crowd of people in Chinatown is that they are children of God, created in the image and likeness of God. That is what we ought to be looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we may still be the best church in Chinatown, we may be like the Pharisee who judges others more harshly than we judge ourselves. Think about the times when you stood behind another customer who has slowed down the check-out line. We\u2019re quick to judge others, but slow to judge ourselves\u2014in our daily work, we go easy on ourselves because we know how hard it is to focus when we are ill or tired or distracted by a personal problem. Like the Pharisee in the parable, we see sin in thieves, rogues, and adulterers, but not in ourselves. This leads others to see us as judgmental and hypocritical\u2014which is not too far from the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we may be the best church in Chinatown, we may be like the Pharisee when we are not honest with God or honest with ourselves and are in need for forgiveness. The tax collector saw himself clearly and he confessed his sinfulness, saying, \u201cGod, be merciful to me, a sinner!\u201d The great church reformer, Martin Luther once summarized, the more I think of myself as a saint, the more sinful in fact I am. The more I think of myself as a sinner, the more saintly in fact I become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of this begs the question, \u201cHow do I get to a place where I see the image of God in others, show mercy instead of judgment, recognize my own need for forgiveness? On the basis of this parable, the simple answer is to pray\u2014to pray regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Power of Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What if we started every day with a prayer like this: \u201cGod, please show your mercy and grace to me today because I realize I am needy and must rely on your help.\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pray that prayer every morning and you\u2019ll not fail to see God in others around you, you\u2019ll be less critical of others, and you\u2019ll look at yourself more honestly and all others with more compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And let\u2019s face it, this is a prayer that each of us can say, because each of us has an ongoing relationship with at least one of the seven deadly sins\u2014lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. Each of us needs to be forgiven, whether we acknowledge it or not, just as the Pharisee needed to be cleansed of the sin of pride when he said, \u201cGod, I thank you that I am not like other people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s time to get honest\u2014honest with God, and honest with ourselves. We cannot go home justified, restored to right relationship with God and one another, unless we admit that we need to be forgiven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a story of the man who came to the gates of heaven to be greeted by St. Peter. Peter asks the man if he can give a brief history of his life with an emphasis on the good deeds he has done in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou will need 1,000 points to be admitted,\u201d Peter tells the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis will be a cinch,\u201d the man thinks to himself, \u201cI\u2019ve been involved in church from the days of my youth.\u201d Then he begins to list his activities for Peter. He was an officer in his youth group, served in every possible position he could as a youngster. Was on the Deacons and every committee the church had to offer. His list was extensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery impressive,\u201d Peter smiles at the man. An angel standing with them also smiled and nodded as he tallied the points and then whispered in Peter\u2019s ear. Peter tells the man, \u201cThis is quite striking; we seldom see men of your very good works. You will be pleased to know that you have 327 points! Is there anything else you can think of?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The poor soul breaks into a cold sweat and begins to reach deep for every single act of kindness he could think of. He listed them as the angel scratched furiously on his angelic clipboard and nodded his head in admiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter looks at the clipboard and says, \u201cThis is quite exceptional! You now have a total of 402 points! Can you think of anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The distressed guy strives to recall good deeds, like the time he helped a little old lady across the street. He finally arrives at a grand total of 431 points and cries out, \u201cI\u2019m sunk! There\u2019s no hope for me! What more could I have done? O Lord, all I can do is beg for your mercy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat,\u201d exclaims Peter, \u201cis a thousand points!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opportunity comes to us here, just as it came to the Pharisee and the tax collector in the temple\u2014the opportunity to see our mistakes, confess our sins, and ask for the gift of forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We may very well be the \u201cbest church in Chinatown.\u201d But in Luke\u2019s parable for us today, the folly of this self-perception is made clear. Jesus said, \u201call who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.\u201d To be humble is to be modest and without pretensions. No matter how accomplished or dedicated we are in life or at church, we need to be humble before God and each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Life is a gift, not a competition. Even our accomplishments are a gift because we accomplish nothing alone\u2014we are dependent upon God and on each other every day of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we find ourselves looking down on others we need to get down on the ground and start looking up at God, the giver of life. From the vantage point of the ground we can\u2019t look down on anyone anymore. From the vantage point of humility, we see that we are part of the human family of tax collectors and sinners, in constant need of God\u2019s mercy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The word \u201chumility\u201d is related to the word humus<\/em> meaning earth, or earthy. If you are humble, you\u2019re close to the ground, near the bottom. In humility, down on the soft, green earth, we remember our kinship with everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of being the \u201cbest church in Chinatown,\u201d let us be the \u201cmost humble church in Chinatown\u201d so that in Christ, we may be exalted in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forgiving God, we confess that we have not followed your Son Jesus Christ in our lives. We have gone our own ways and sought our own paths rather than submit to you. Teach us to be humble and confess our sins, and ask for your forgiveness. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Luke 18:9-14 October 28, 2007 Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. This past week, the Michelin Dining Guide rated the French