Shepherd of the Springs
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

From the Old Testament of the Day: The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? [Genesis 4.6]

From the Epistle: Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain [1 Corinthians 15.1-2]

From the Holy Gospel: I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." [Luke 18.14a]

Today is the 11^th Sunday after Trinity, known as "The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Sunday," on the basis of the Holy Gospel for the day. All three lessons today combine to present God’s Word of truth concerning faith.

Faith would seem to be a very common thing. But, actually, faith is very rare. The reason for this confusion is that what we tend to call "faith" is actually something different – not faith, but "presumption." Presumption is easy; faith is very difficult. In fact, presumption is a common creation of the human mind; faith is a uncommon gift of God. Presumption thinks always about itself; faith loses itself in the promise of the Gospel. Presumption always seeks to protect and justify the self; faith abandons oneself into the hands and the judgment of God. Presumption comes from so-called "common sense"; faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of Christ.

It is a very dangerous thing for Christians to confuse these two things, presumption and faith. And so, today, your humble attention is invited to the Word of God which, through the object lesson of the Tax Collector in our Lord’s Parable, teaches you "The Result of Faith."

I.

In the Old Testament of the Day, God’s Word directs you to the first children of the human race: Cain and Abel. One might conclude that we have here the first skirmish in the ongoing battle of the open range, otherwise known as the battle between the farmer and the rancher.

Cain, the very first person born into the human race, is the farmer, while his younger brother, Abel, is the rancher, or more specifically, the sheep herder. So, when time comes for sacrifice to God, each brother draws from what he has raised in order to present an offering to God. And the casual reader might draw the conclusion that God is here rewarding according to one kind of gift over against the other, which is also Cain’s conclusion. But, God is here highlighting one human response over against the other: faith over presumption.

To the human mind, the difference between Cain’s sacrifice and that of his brother Abel has something to do with what it sacrificed, with what is offered to God. The fact that demands explaining is that God treats these two sacrifices differently. And that is the problem. So, one of two conclusions is drawn: either God plays favorites, and who can be blamed if that is the case. Or else, there is a problem with one of the gifts. And that, too, leads right back to the conclusions that God plays favorites. "And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell."

This is what Cain concluded, and his wrath over being discriminated against by God, unable to take it out on God, takes it out on his brother. And, thus, Cain becomes not only the first-born of all humanity, but also the first murderer of all humanity.

What is really going on here? Clearly, it isn’t that God favors herders over farmers. If that isn’t clear to you, just travel a little way farther down the trail of the Patriarchs, and you soon discover God making a difference between two other brothers, Jacob and Esau, another farmer and another rancher, only that time it is the farmer who is blessed by God!

So, if it isn’t that God likes meat over grain or grain over meat, then what is the difference here? It is the difference between presumption and faith.

II.

The Holy Gospel of the Day presents this same clash, showing that it is not a clash over meat versus grain, but rather a clash between two minds, two ways of thinking, two conclusions about God, two minds and hearts standing before God.

Jesus presents a parable. "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt," Here you find the same clash that occurs in Genesis between Cain and his brother. Cain’s focus in his offering was upon his act of offering something of value to God. Abel’s focus was on God, not on his sacrifice. In this parable, the Pharisee’s focus was upon his sacrifice, while the Tax Collector’s focus was upon his unworthiness.

So, the Pharisee prays, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." And we should note here that the ESV chooses the translation "of all that I get," while the KJV and NKJV better reflects the Greek here, "all that I have," "all that I own." Thus, the Pharisee practices of giving ten percent of his wealth each year, rather than just giving ten percent of what he earns in a year.

Meanwhile, the Tax Collector prays, "God be merciful to me, the sinner!" The focus here is not on the sacrifice or the gift, for he he none! His gift is a plea for mercy. His response to God is to abandon himself to the mercy of His Heavenly Father. And the conclusion of the matter is put by Jesus: "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other."

Why is this so? It is so because of the difference between presumption and faith. It doesn’t matter to God whether the Pharisee give ten percent of his earnings or ten percent of his wealth. God doesn’t need either! What matters is this: the condition of the heart and mind of the giver. The Pharisee figures that what he is doing impresses God – this is what he presumes! That is not faith!

The Tax Collector doesn’t figure ANYTHING about himself! He pleads for mercy, as the hymn likewise pleads, "Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling." But even the act of clinging can become presumption – which is what happens when the sinner thinks he or her act of being humble. It is a wicked trick of the devil, who will be quite satisfied when the sinner thinks on his being humble before God. God is satisfied when the sinner abandons hope even on his or her acts of contrition – but rather simply and humbly pleads for mercy, "God be merciful to me, the sinner!"

You see it, don’t you? The devil’s trick is to show you a mirror whenever you pray to God, showing yourself in the act of praying. That’s all it takes, and faith gives way to presumption, presuming that I am doing or saying the right thing in my duty of prayer, for which
God then will have to give me the right response in His duty as God. Thus, prayer, offering, sacrifice – all these – become more opportunities to sin before God, for He never presents you with a bargain. Hence, in the Epistle, when St. Paul sets forth what faith believes – it has nothing to do with our doing, but only God’s doing: "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain."

So, what’s the key? Nothing you are doing, but only what Christ has promised! That’s where faith lives.