October 26, 2025
LINK TO SERMON ON YOUTUBE
(May expire after about 6 months)
TEXT: Luke 18:9-14
TOPIC: Pride & Humility
SERMON SUMMARY:
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: A Journey of Humility
Good morning, everyone. We've been following Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem for several Sundays now, and today we find ourselves looking at a powerful parable Jesus taught along that journey.
Jesus told this parable to people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt. You know what I'm talking about. We've all been there—looking at others and thinking, "I'm not like them. I go to church every Sunday. I pray. I'm an Anglican with apostolic succession." We compare ourselves and feel superior.
In this parable, two men go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stands there and basically says, "God, look at me! I'm not an extortioner, not an adulterer, not like that tax collector over there. I fast twice a week. I pay my tithe on everything." But notice—there's no confession, no humility, no asking for forgiveness. It's all about what he's accomplished.
The tax collector? He stands far off, won't even lift his eyes to heaven, beats his breast in pain, and simply prays: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."
Which one went home justified? The tax collector.
I have to confess to you—sometimes I'm more like the Pharisee. When sharing the gospel with my family in Florida, I've caught myself saying, "Look at me, you should be like me," when I should be saying, "Look at Jesus." The Lord really knocked me down with this one.
It's not about what we do for God. It's about what Jesus did for us. God's mercy and forgiveness produce obedience in us—not the other way around. We must point to Jesus, not ourselves.
So let's pray together: "Father God, be merciful to me, a sinner, in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord."
The Rev. Jose Poch graciously volunteers at St. Luke’s as an Assisting Priest. Retired from over 40 years of rectorship, most recently at St. David’s in Burbank, Fr. Jose has served God and God’s people faithfully as a priest, a police chaplain, a conference and retreat speaker, and a spiritual father to many. During his tenure at St. David’s, he guided the church through a number of major transitions, including the church’s exit from the Episcopal Church and entrance into the Anglican Church. Fr. Jose was one of the founding clergy of the Western Anglican Council and the Diocese of Western Anglicans. Before leading St. David’s, Fr. Jose piloted St. Margaret and St. Ann’s in Los Angeles from a 30-member English-speaking congregation into a bilingual church of over 170. Fr. Jose has a Master in Theology degree from Fuller Seminary. He has been on the board of SOMA and ACTS 29, served as Chairman of the MDP, led numerous mission trips to Latin America, and has been an integral member of the Charismatic Movement in Los Angeles and the Cursillo Movement locally and nationally.
For over a century, the congregation of St. Luke’s has followed Jesus Christ through ancient forms of worship and spiritual growth presented in a contemporary style. St. Luke’s celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. The original stone building, made of stones from the local mountains, still stands on Foothill Blvd in La Crescenta—though the Anglican congregation has moved to a new building just a few blocks away near downtown Montrose. Retaining its biblically faithful foundation and liturgically rich worship service through the move, this long-standing Los Angeles church also carries on a tradition of warm welcome for newcomers. St. Luke’s is part of the Diocese of Western Anglicans, Anglican Church in North America, and the Global Anglican Communion. We invite you to join us online or in person this Sunday!
