Empty Hands: The Path to True Acceptance
Summary
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells the story of two men who come to the temple to pray: a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee stands confidently, listing his religious achievements and thanking God that he is not like other sinners. The tax collector, on the other hand, stands far off, unable even to lift his eyes to heaven, and simply pleads, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus declares that it is the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who goes home justified before God. This story is a powerful reminder that before a holy God, we come empty-handed. We have nothing to offer, nothing to prove, and nothing to cover ourselves with. Our only hope is to cling to the cross of Christ, trusting in his mercy and grace.
This truth is not just the starting point of the Christian life—it is the staying point. We never graduate from our need for grace. Whether we identify more with the unrighteous tax collector or the self-righteous Pharisee, the invitation is the same: come to God with empty hands, confessing both our unrighteousness and our self-righteousness, and receive the righteousness of Christ. The danger for many of us, especially those who have grown up in the church or have lived morally upright lives, is to subtly believe that God’s love for us is based on how much we look like Jesus. We may begin to rely on our own obedience, our own spiritual performance, or our comparison to others as the basis for our acceptance with God. But Jesus exposes the futility of self-righteousness and the misery it brings—judgmentalism, spiritual performance, and a deep insecurity that can never be satisfied.
The gospel confronts both the unrighteous and the self-righteous. Jesus pursues both, calling each to repentance. The cure for both is the same: humble, empty-handed repentance that throws itself on the mercy of God. There are different degrees of maturity in the Christian life, but there are not different levels of acceptance. God delights in our obedience as the fruit of salvation, not as its source. Communion is our weekly reminder that we need Jesus—his body broken, his blood shed—for us. We are invited to come as we are, confessing our need, and to find that there is always more mercy in Christ than there is sin in us.
Key Takeaways
- True acceptance with God is found only in empty-handed humility, not in our spiritual achievements or moral performance. The Pharisee’s prayer was full of self-congratulation, but it was the tax collector’s humble plea for mercy that was met with God’s justification. We must resist the temptation to bring our “spiritual resume” to God and instead come with nothing but our need for grace. [38:19]
- Both unrighteousness and self-righteousness are ways of running from God. The unrighteous may rebel openly, while the self-righteous hide behind morality and religious activity. Jesus pursues both, and both are called to repentance—not just from obvious sin, but from the pride that believes we can earn God’s favor. [47:29]
- The most dangerous form of pride is the kind that hides behind our goodness. Self-righteousness is subtle and insidious, often masquerading as holiness. It leads to judgmentalism, spiritual performance, and ultimately, deep insecurity, because we know our own righteousness is never enough. [50:28]
- The gospel is not “I live a good life, therefore Jesus accepts me,” but “Jesus accepts me, therefore I live a good life.” Our obedience is meant to be the fruit of our salvation, not the root. When we rely on our sanctification for our justification, we miss the heart of God and rob ourselves of the security and joy that comes from grace. [53:10]
- The invitation of Jesus is always to come as we are, confessing both our unrighteousness and our self-righteousness. There is no one who needs Jesus less than anyone else. God is eager to meet humble repentance with mercy, to clothe us in Christ’s righteousness, and to flood our hearts with forgiveness and love. [01:02:10]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[33:28] - The Story Behind “Rock of Ages”
[35:23] - Becoming Like Jesus: The Heart of Christianity
[38:19] - The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
[39:17] - Who Did Jesus Preach To?
[40:47] - The Scandal of the Tax Collector
[43:27] - How Can the Worst Be Made Right with God?
[45:37] - The Power of Empty-Handed Repentance
[47:29] - Jesus Pursues Both the Unrighteous and the Self-Righteous
[49:00] - The Subtle Danger of Self-Righteousness
[50:28] - Pride in the Temple: The Pharisee Within
[53:10] - The Default Mode of the Human Heart
[57:00] - The Symptoms of Self-Righteousness
[01:02:10] - The Cure: Humble Repentance for All
[01:08:51] - Communion: Remembering Our Need for Jesus
[01:24:23] - Benediction and Sending
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)
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### Bible Reading
Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘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.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 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.”
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### Observation Questions
1. What are the main differences between the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector in this parable?
2. According to Jesus, which man went home justified before God, and why?
3. What does the Pharisee list as reasons for his confidence before God? ([38:19])
4. How does the tax collector approach God differently than the Pharisee? ([38:19])
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus chose a Pharisee and a tax collector as the two characters in this story? What do they represent? ([39:17])
2. The sermon says there are “two ways to run from God”—unrighteousness and self-righteousness. How do both of these show up in the parable? ([47:29])
3. The Pharisee’s prayer is described as “praying his spiritual resume.” What does this reveal about his understanding of God and himself? ([49:00])
4. The sermon mentions that “the most dangerous form of pride is the kind that hides behind our goodness.” Why is self-righteousness so hard to recognize in ourselves? ([50:28])
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon says, “We never graduate from our need for grace.” In what ways do you find yourself trying to “move on” from grace and rely on your own spiritual performance? ([35:23])
2. Are you more likely to identify with the tax collector (aware of your need for mercy) or the Pharisee (confident in your own goodness)? Why? ([45:37])
3. The Pharisee compared himself to others to feel justified. When are you tempted to compare your spiritual life to someone else’s? How does this affect your relationship with God and others? ([49:00])
4. The sermon warns that self-righteousness leads to judgmentalism, spiritual performance, and deep insecurity. Which of these “symptoms” do you see in your own life? ([50:28])
5. The gospel is not “I live a good life, therefore Jesus accepts me,” but “Jesus accepts me, therefore I live a good life.” How would your daily life look different if you truly believed this? ([53:10])
6. Communion is described as a weekly reminder that we need Jesus. How can you make space in your week to remember your need for Jesus and his mercy? ([01:08:51])
7. The invitation of Jesus is to come as you are, confessing both unrighteousness and self-righteousness. What would it look like for you to practice “empty-handed repentance” this week? ([01:02:10])
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray simple, honest prayers of repentance—confessing both unrighteousness and self-righteousness—and to thank God for the mercy and acceptance found in Jesus.
Devotional
Day 1: Come to God Empty-Handed, Clinging Only to the Cross
Before a holy God, we have nothing to offer—no good works, no moral achievements, no spiritual resume. We come exposed, helpless, and in need of grace. Yet, it is in this very state of emptiness that Jesus meets us with His steadfast love. The invitation is not to bring our best, but to come as we are, clinging to the cross, trusting that Jesus will clothe us with His righteousness and cleanse us with His love. This is not just the starting point of faith, but the ongoing posture of the Christian life: empty-handed dependence on Christ alone. [35:23]
Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘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.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 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.”
Reflection: In what area of your life are you tempted to bring your own achievements or goodness before God, rather than coming to Him empty-handed and dependent on His grace?
Day 2: God’s Mercy Is Greater Than Our Worst Sin
No matter how far someone has wandered or how public their shame, there is no life of sin greater than the mercy and grace of God. Jesus moves toward the most broken, the most notorious sinners, and meets their humble, empty-handed repentance with forgiveness, acceptance, and love. The stories of Zacchaeus, the sinful woman, and the prodigal son all show that when we come to Jesus with nothing but a plea for mercy, He delights to save, restore, and call us His own. There is always more mercy in Christ than there is sin in us. [45:37]
Luke 19:1-10 (ESV)
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Reflection: Is there a part of your past or present that you believe is beyond God’s mercy? What would it look like to bring that honestly to Jesus in prayer today?
Day 3: The Subtle Danger of Self-Righteousness
Self-righteousness is a subtle and insidious pride that hides behind morality, religious performance, and comparison to others. It leads to judgmentalism, a need for the failure of others to feel justified, and a spirituality that is more about performance than intimacy with God. This pride can even turn our acts of worship and prayer into self-exaltation, robbing us of the security and joy that come from humble dependence on Christ. The cure is not to try harder, but to repent of self-reliance and receive the righteousness of Jesus as a gift. [50:28]
Matthew 23:25-28 (ESV)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Reflection: Where do you notice yourself performing spiritually for others or comparing yourself to them? How can you practice honest, humble prayer before God today?
Day 4: There Are Not Different Levels of Acceptance with God
In the Christian life, there are different degrees of maturity, but not different levels of acceptance. God does not love us more when we are doing well or less when we are struggling. Our acceptance is not based on our obedience, but on the perfect righteousness of Christ given to us. This truth frees us from the exhausting cycle of trying to earn God’s love and allows us to rest in His unchanging grace, knowing that nothing can separate us from His love. [01:02:10]
Romans 8:1, 31-39 (ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Reflection: When you feel distant from God or unworthy of His love, what truth from this passage can you hold onto to remind you of your full acceptance in Christ?
Day 5: Humble Repentance Is Met with God’s Mercy Every Time
God’s invitation is always to come as we are, confessing both our unrighteousness and our self-righteousness, and to receive His forgiveness, cleansing, and love. There is no quota on God’s grace, no special class of sinner who needs to bring more than empty-handed repentance. Whether for the first time or the thousandth, when we come humbly before God, He is eager to flood our hearts with forgiveness and clothe us in Christ’s righteousness. This is the posture that keeps us close to Him and confident in His love. [01:08:51]
1 John 1:8-9 (ESV)
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Reflection: What specific area of your life do you need to bring to God in humble repentance today, trusting that He will meet you with mercy and not condemnation?
Quotes
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