Wednesday, September 7, 2016
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble
themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:14
(NLT)
Two men went to worship; one was
accepted, and one rejected. The one was
a Pharisee, a very religious person, pillar of the community; the other was the
town tax collector, certainly not the most religious (or popular) guy on the
block.
Publicans (ancient tax collectors) were
Jews, but they were unacceptable to their own people, because they worked for the
Roman government taking an exorbitant tax (and even more) from their Jewish
brothers. The Publican was a despised
"Benedict Arnold!" The
Pharisees were the respected religious leaders.
The story’s conclusion should have
been a slam-dunk for the listeners; the religious guy wins, hands down! But Jesus’ punch-line pulled a switch; the
tax collector is the one who winds-up right with God, and the church elder
becomes the bad guy.
What gives here?
Notice, please, the stark difference
in worship between a religious man, and a renegade; the renegade had humility,
the religious man had an “I” Problem; he was full of pride.
A teenager once asked his mother what she got out of
church. The teen knew his mother thought
the sermons were often dull and the music uninspiring. And each time he asked her, she responded,
"I don't know. I just feel better
all week when I've been to church on Sunday."
Why did the mother feel better for having been to
church? When she was in church, she did
not have to be the caring mother, the dutiful wife, the responsible neighbor -
she could just be. She did not have to do
anything. Somebody else was in
charge. Somebody else was taking care of
her.[ii]
Genuine humility rests in the care of God; it
understands that we are inadequate to save ourselves, or to make ourselves fit
company for being in the presence of God.
Persons with genuine humility come into worship with that understanding,
and they find genuine acceptance at the hand of God. When they leave, of course they feel better –
they feel, and know forgiveness.
For You Today
So, if you have a tendency to be a Pharisee; you’ve
been a good boy, or a good girl all your life, this would be a good time to
have an “I” check.
1.
How do you feel
about the “bad” people?
2.
Have you asked
for mercy recently?
If you don’t like the answers you heard in your own
heart, you can change positions…you can leave the confident stand of the
Pharisee and take up the humble stance of the Publican.
1.
You stand in
humility before God.
2.
You pray in
humility, asking for mercy for your sins.
3.
You receive His
love and welcoming embrace.
THAT’s how to put an end to the “I” problem!
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a
blessed day!
Go to VIDEO
NOTES
[i]
Title Image: Hieronymus
Bosch (circa 1450–1516) or follower [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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