Bible Text: Luke 18:9\u201314 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like you and me | How do we mana\u00adge to stand tog\u00ade\u00adther despi\u00adte all our pecu\u00adlia\u00adri\u00adties and dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces? In the Bible we meet two men in the temp\u00adle who are avo\u00adi\u00adding each other. Both have some\u00adthing to say to us!<\/p>\n
Have you ever expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced Jesus prea\u00adching to you per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly? Through an expe\u00adri\u00adence, a per\u00adson or an image \u2013 in a dream or in front of your eyes? \tTell each other about \u00abser\u00admons\u00bb that Jesus gave you personally. Bible Text: Luke 18:9\u201314 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like you and me | How do we mana\u00adge to stand tog\u00ade\u00adther despi\u00adte all our pecu\u00adlia\u00adri\u00adties and dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces? In the Bible we meet two men in the temp\u00adle who are avo\u00adi\u00adding each other. Both have some\u00adthing to say to us! Have you also expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced that?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3109","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nRos\u00adma\u00adrie and I wan\u00adted child\u00adren soon after we got mar\u00adried, but we had to wait 8 years for that wish to come true. During this time of infer\u00adti\u00adli\u00adty I also suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded from infer\u00adti\u00adli\u00adty in my minis\u00adtry. The birth of the daugh\u00adter was then a per\u00adso\u00adnal ser\u00admon from Jesus to me! It read: \u00abWhat is bar\u00adren in your eyes is not so in mine. Remem\u00adber that, Ber\u00adnard, also for your minis\u00adtry!\u00bb That was a per\u00adso\u00adnal ser\u00admon from Jesus addres\u00adsed to me! I\u2019m sure you\u2019\u00adve expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced this too. Why don\u2019t you tell each other about your per\u00adso\u00adnal ser\u00admons from Jesus over cof\u00adfee later?
\nJesus pre\u00ada\u00adches to only a few and some\u00adti\u00admes even to individuals
\nIt hap\u00adpen\u00aded back then, when Jesus was in this world, that he some\u00adti\u00admes addres\u00adsed a ser\u00admon only to a very spe\u00adci\u00adfic group of peo\u00adp\u00adle, or even only to indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adals. Such a ser\u00admon by Jesus is intro\u00addu\u00adced in the Gos\u00adpel of Luke with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing words: \u00abNow he said to some who pre\u00adsu\u00admed to be pious and des\u00adpi\u00adsed others, this para\u00adble\u2026\u00bb And it read as fol\u00adlows: \u00abThe\u00adre went up two men into the temp\u00adle to pray, the one a Pha\u00adri\u00adsee, the other a publi\u00adcan. The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee stood by hims\u00adelf and pray\u00aded thus: I thank thee, O God, that I am not like other peo\u00adp\u00adle, rob\u00adbers, swind\u00adlers, adul\u00adte\u00adrers, or even like this publi\u00adcan. I fast twice a week and tithe ever\u00ady\u00adthing I coll\u00adect. But the publi\u00adcan stood afar off, neither would he lift up his eyes to hea\u00adven, but smo\u00adte upon his breast, say\u00ading, God, be mer\u00adciful to me a sin\u00adner. I say unto you: This man went down to his house jus\u00adti\u00adfied, and not that man. For he who exalts hims\u00adelf will be hum\u00adbled, and he who hum\u00adbles hims\u00adelf will be exal\u00adted\u00bb (Luke 18:9\u201314 LU<\/span>).
\nAre\u00adn\u2019t we loo\u00adking at a Bible pas\u00adsa\u00adge that does\u00adn\u2019t con\u00adcern us at all? That does\u00adn\u2019t exist with us! We do not des\u00adpi\u00adse other Chris\u00adti\u00adans, but live as it says in Phil\u00adip\u00adpians: \u00abDo not be sel\u00adfi\u00adsh; do not stri\u00adve to make a good impres\u00adsi\u00adon on others, but be hum\u00adble and esteem others more high\u00adly than your\u00adsel\u00adves\u00bb (Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 2:3 NL<\/span>). What Jesus is tel\u00adling us to do, we do! And when he tells us\u2026 \u00abI com\u00admand you to love one ano\u00adther just as I love you\u00bb (John 15:12 NL<\/span>).
\n\u2026then we love each other just as he loves us \u2013 don\u2019t we? We suspect it, per\u00adhaps this text has more to do with us than we think. The disci\u00adples once asked them\u00adsel\u00adves who was the grea\u00adtest among them! By what did they mea\u00adsu\u00adre them\u00adsel\u00adves? Who prays the most? Who had the most faith? Or who was the most fruitful in their com\u00admit\u00adment to Jesus?
\nTho\u00adse who compa\u00adre them\u00adsel\u00adves with others very quick\u00adly see them\u00adsel\u00adves as bet\u00adter than ever\u00adyo\u00adne else. \u00abBut he said to some who pre\u00adsu\u00admed to be pious and des\u00adpi\u00adsed others\u2026\u00bb Others trans\u00adla\u00adte \u00abpious\u00bb with: \u00ab\u2026fal\u00adse self-con\u00adfi\u00addence\u00bb, or with: \u00abself-righ\u00adteous\u00bb.
\nThe parable
\n\u00abTwo peo\u00adp\u00adle went up to the temp\u00adle to pray, one a Pha\u00adri\u00adsee, the other a tax coll\u00adec\u00adtor.\u00bb Jesus, in his mind, sees hims\u00adelf in a temp\u00adle and makes two short vide\u00ados of two total\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent peo\u00adp\u00adle, a Pha\u00adri\u00adsee and a tax coll\u00adec\u00adtor. \u00ab11 The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee stood for hims\u00adelf.\u2026\u00bb The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee stood by hims\u00adelf\u2026 What distance is expres\u00adsed the\u00adre! The\u00adre must have been others in the temp\u00adle at the same time. But the Pha\u00adri\u00adsee stands apart! Self-righ\u00adteous\u00adness and arro\u00adgan\u00adce crea\u00adte distance; fee\u00adling bet\u00adter than others makes one lonely! What a con\u00adtrast Jesus is. He went towards the peo\u00adp\u00adle. The clo\u00adser he was to them, the more com\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble he was \u2013 he was a real attrac\u00adtion for guilt-rid\u00adden and world\u00adly peo\u00adp\u00adle. When Jesus and his disci\u00adples were invi\u00adted to Matthew\u2019s house for a meal, other tax coll\u00adec\u00adtors came too, as well as peo\u00adp\u00adle who were con\u00adside\u00adred sin\u00adners. They wan\u00adted to be the\u00adre too! (Matthew 9:10)
\n\u00ab11 The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee stood by hims\u00adelf and pray\u00aded thus: I thank thee, O God, that I am not as other men, rob\u00adbers, swind\u00adlers, adul\u00adte\u00adrers, or even as this publi\u00adcan.\u00bb The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee prays. That\u2019s good, but like this?! It would have been bet\u00adter if he had pray\u00aded, \u00abActual\u00adly, I am like the other peo\u00adp\u00adle, rob\u00adbers, cheats, etc.; I thank you God that you are gra\u00adcious to me.\u00bb Just as Paul wri\u00adtes in Romans, \u00abFor all men have sin\u00adned and come short of the glo\u00adry of God. But God decla\u00adres us righ\u00adteous by grace. It is his gift to us through Jesus Christ who has freed us from our guilt\u00bb (Romans 3:23\u201324 NL<\/span>).
\nAccor\u00adding to the Pha\u00adri\u00adsee, the\u00adre were only two kinds of peo\u00adp\u00adle: Name\u00adly, Pha\u00adri\u00adsees and all others. Accor\u00adding to the Gos\u00adpel, howe\u00adver, the\u00adre is only one kind of per\u00adson. The only dif\u00adfe\u00adrence is faith in Jesus Christ and the gift of his grace. In the case of the Pha\u00adri\u00adsee, it is not God who makes the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence, but he hims\u00adelf with all his pious posturing:
\n\u00ab12 I fast twice a week and tithe ever\u00ady\u00adthing I take in\u2026\u00bb When we ask our\u00adsel\u00adves what this text is sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to have to do with us, per\u00adhaps we do need to ask our\u00adsel\u00adves some ques\u00adti\u00adons: What could you be coun\u00adting on? Your know\u00adledge of the Bible, your pray\u00ader life, your cou\u00adra\u00adge to talk to others about your faith? Your spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts, per\u00adhaps your gift of ton\u00adgues? On your tire\u00adless work here in the church? On your giving? The\u00adre is no dif\u00adfe\u00adrence, we all do not deser\u00adve the for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness of our sins. The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee and the tax coll\u00adec\u00adtor could have shaken hands! It is always peo\u00adp\u00adle who make dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces. We can pre\u00adsu\u00adme on abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly not\u00adhing. What God makes of you and with you is sub\u00adject to his sove\u00adreig\u00adn\u00adty. No merits count the\u00adre! The\u00adre is not\u00adhing for us to mea\u00adsu\u00adre. We do not have to pre\u00adtend any\u00adthing to our\u00adsel\u00adves or to anyo\u00adne else. We have not\u00adhing to repre\u00adsent but Christ alo\u00adne in us.
\n\u00abI fast twice a week and tithe ever\u00ady\u00adthing I take in.\u00bb As if that would count for an open door in hea\u00adven! The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee was con\u00advin\u00adced that he did\u00adn\u2019t need Jesus becau\u00adse he was good enough and lived by their self-made laws. Jesus says not\u00adhing against fas\u00adting, nor against tithing \u2013 the\u00adse are good and bibli\u00adcal spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal rules. But to pre\u00adsu\u00adme on them makes the good wort\u00adhl\u00adess \u2013 and that is a pity! What a bla\u00adtant, oppo\u00adsi\u00adte pic\u00adtu\u00adre the tax coll\u00adec\u00adtor gives:
\n\u00ab13 But the publi\u00adcan stood afar off, neither would he lift up his eyes to hea\u00adven, but smo\u00adte upon his breast, say\u00ading, God, be mer\u00adciful to me a sin\u00adner.\u00bb The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee, when pray\u00ading, looks at hims\u00adelf and stands befo\u00adre a deman\u00adding God. Whe\u00adre\u00adas the publi\u00adcan stands befo\u00adre the holy God.
\nHe sees hims\u00adelf in God\u2019s ray of light and can hard\u00adly stand it becau\u00adse of his guilt. His pray\u00ader is short and con\u00adsists of only 5 words: \u00abGod, be mer\u00adciful to me a sin\u00adner\u00bb! Jesus con\u00adcludes the para\u00adble with the words:
\n\u00ab14 I say to you: This one went down jus\u00adti\u00adfied into his house, not that one. For he that exal\u00adteth hims\u00adelf shall be aba\u00adsed; and he that hum\u00adbleth hims\u00adelf shall be exal\u00adted.\u00bb How does that work: humbling ones\u00adelf? Cer\u00adtain\u00adly not with sen\u00adten\u00adces like: \u00abI can\u2019t do any\u00adthing, I\u2019m inca\u00adpa\u00adble or I\u2019m just bad\u2026\u00bb! Give thanks dai\u00adly for Jesus Christ, who has made your life so valuable through his grace.
\nOften we Chris\u00adti\u00adans are appal\u00adled by the beha\u00adviour of non-Chris\u00adti\u00adans and tend to look down on them and keep our distance. Only the love of Jesus keeps us from being arro\u00adgant towards them. Pray again and again for your neigh\u00adbours who have not yet dis\u00adco\u00adver\u00aded Jesus and his love. With your pray\u00aders and your love for them, you make yours\u00adelf attrac\u00adti\u00adve with your faith and are not a pious per\u00adson who is repulsive.
\nWe are saved from a pha\u00adri\u00adsai\u00adcal view of others by Paul\u2019s pray\u00ader in Psalm 139: \u00abSearch me, O God, and know what is in my heart; test me and know my thoughts! See if I have taken a path that would lead me away from you, and gui\u00adde me in the way that endu\u00adres fore\u00adver!\u00bb (Psalm 139:23\u201324 NG\u00dc<\/span>). It is frigh\u00adtening what can go wrong in our hearts! Open your heart befo\u00adre God; let Him cle\u00adan\u00adse it. Our hearts need to be exami\u00adned and cle\u00adan\u00adsed again and again. It is like the heart of a cof\u00adfee machi\u00adne! In our machi\u00adne, the bre\u00adwing unit has to be clea\u00adned regu\u00adlar\u00adly. Other\u00adwi\u00adse, what comes out is not of good qua\u00adli\u00adty! Befo\u00adre his death, Moses made a pro\u00admi\u00adse to the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel with which I would like to con\u00adclude this sermon:
\n\u00abThe Lord your God will puri\u00adfy your heart and the hearts of your des\u00adcen\u00addants, so that you will love him sin\u00adce\u00adre\u00adly and with all your might and remain ali\u00adve\u00bb (Deut. 30:6 NL<\/span>).
\nAmen
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups or for per\u00adso\u00adnal concern
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 18:9\u201314<\/p>\n
\n\tRespect others more than your\u00adsel\u00adves \u2013 dis\u00adcuss the pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties and limits of this call.
\n\tJesus was an attrac\u00adtion for out\u00adsi\u00adders; why are we Chris\u00adti\u00adans often repul\u00adsi\u00adve to other peo\u00adp\u00adle. How could this change?
\n\tHumi\u00adlia\u00adting yours\u00adelf \u2013 how do you do it?
\n\tWhat could you be ima\u00adgi\u00adning, but you deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly don\u2019t?
\n\tHow often and how do you cle\u00adan\u00adse your heart?
\n\tPray for each other, that all may be light and salt for Jesus whe\u00adre they live.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"