Vocabulary time. The word ‘deference’ means: humble submission and respect. The example given in the dictionary is: “he addressed her with the deference due to age.” This is sorely needed but hopelessly lost in today’s society. Humility is more than needed in the Spirit-led life, it is essential. At my ordination, several men whispered in my ear as they laid hands on, and prayed for me. One stuck out more than most. He said— “stay humble”. What a simple phrase, but hard to perform. I have struggled, as I’m sure many of you have, to stay humble. Without humility, salvation of any kind, is just outside of our reach. Our justification is contingent on humility. Justification is: the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God. We have been justified, by Him; we do not justify ourselves. Jesus taught on this by way of a parable. A parable is story used to illustrate a spiritual truth. Looking at Luke 18.9-14 we see such a parable outlining our belief of: ‘justification by faith, alone’.
Beginning in verse 9— “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:” Apparently from the get-go, Jesus is making it clear that you cannot be righteous and despise others at the same time. By His own definition they “trust in themselves, that they are righteous.” He then embarks on the parable in verse 10— “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.” God said “two men”. People see a Pharisee and a Publican. Two polar opposites on the spiritual status scale of Jews. One who is the spiritual elite, and the other, vermin. Status means nothing to God; only to the proud.
These two men are contrasted by the way they handle their prayer. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican” (11). It says— “prayed with himself”… the proud are blind to their heart and therefore their actions. The proud always compare themselves to others. They size up competition and ability, or the lack thereof. He is thanking God for his own status and ability to be morally compliant. He continues in 12— “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” Wow, good for you. Two times a week is more than required in any biblical text. God said from Samuel to Saul— “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15.22). The proud believe their behavior justifies themselves. They truly believe they are ‘good’. But in who’s eyes? The proud conversely believe their intentions justify their actions. After all, they are right?! The proud judge others by their actions; and want others to judge them by their intentions. Their hope lies in not being as bad as someone else. They are constantly measuring themselves by others. The proud lack any real sense of their own unworthiness.
In verse 13 we have the Publican— “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” When faced with the reality of his own sin; the only answer is: abject humility. The humble are reality based. The humble are self-less. They know and therefore show deference to the one and only just One. We see his brokenness, striking his breast. We see his selflessness in bowing his head. We see his acknowledgment of reality in asking for mercy. We see his confession in admitting he is a sinner.
Jesus then gives His diagnosis of the situation. He said in verse 14— “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Justification by faith alone. The requirement: Faith. A spiritual discernment that you and I are unable and in desperate need of God’s justification. How does one obtain that spiritual discernment? Initially from the Holy Spirit at salvation, then built by the resource of Scripture as it is obeyed. The only way it can be obeyed is the same way it came in the first place… humility. If you can do it, if you got it, if you are able… then you don’t need Him. But, if you are broken and reality-based in this… you know you need Him more than ever. Humble yourself.
The proud are oblivious. They walk away thinking they are right, when God says they are not. They may never know reality. Jesus repeated this line from before in Luke 14.11— “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Three take away’s: 1. We are completely devoid of personal righteousness; 2. Righteousness is declared upon us instantaneously by repentant faith. 3. Confidence in one’s own righteousness is a damning hope. Paul said so in Romans 10.3— “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
Submit. That’s it. Humble submission to what reality God has set. Learn deference. It is essential.