Me>You

Pride. What an amazing downfall for so many of us. It’s a constant struggle that we battle with daily. Pride and self-confidence tend to mixed up by many people. It’s important to have confidence in yourself, but pride is overly bragging and being boastful about yourself, who you are, what you do/don’t do, etc. You can have confidence and be humble about it. Jesus speaks in this text about pride and humility and how He views both.

Luke 18:9-14 NKJV
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Obviously today we can easily tell who’s the “good guy” and who’s the “bad guy.” But in the day this story was told, the audience Jesus was speaking to didn’t expect what was about to happen. To them the tax collector was viewed as a man who worked against his own people by collecting for the hated Romans. The Pharisee, was the beloved teacher of the law, a person who received great respect from the community. I’m sure as Jesus began the story, many were confused that a tax collector would be in a temple and probably dismissed the seriousness of his prayer and intentions.

Imagine how the crowd reacted to the Pharisee’s prayer. I’m sure none of us actually pray exactly like that, naming people and occupations that we feel better than, but his prayer shines light on how many of us feel in our hearts. To the people listening I’m sure they agreed with the Pharisee’s prayer. What I’d really like to know is how the felt when Jesus continued with the tax collectors prayer and the final outcome in vs 13-14. The fact that the “bad guy” to them humbled himself before God and cried out for forgiveness was a shock to them. And that God would be more pleased with him and his confession than the Pharisee’s good deeds.

This parable was used to teach the people that it doesn’t matter who you are, good works and being “good” won’t get you to Heaven, won’t gain you access to God. What really gets God excited is when we humble ourselves before God and let Him do the good works through us. Young, old, rich, poor, God wants to and can use you. We just have to humble ourselves before God and admin that HE > ME.

Bro. Austin Chapman is the Youth Minister

at Sugar Creek Baptist in Murray, KY and founder

of Inflamed Church Ministries.