This Is My Story 5 – A Tale of Two Hearts
The time that Jesus walked around during his life religious people kept bothering him and accusing him of all kinds of wrong. They keep trying to trip him up and catch him doing what they considered sinful. Jesus would tell stories to them and answer their questions with questions just to bother them and remind them that they were not as perfect as they believed they were. On one day Jesus tells the story of two guys who go to temple and pray.
Jesus told this story to some people who thought they were very good and looked down on everyone else: “A Pharisee and a tax collector both went to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, ’God, I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector. I give up eating twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I get!’ “The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even look up to heaven. But he beat on his chest because he was so sad. He said, ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great.” Luke 18:9-14 (NCV)
I love that Luke sets up the story by letting us know exactly who Jesus is going after. It is the religious people who think they are better than others and always so judgey. He goes not only after them but this story is timeless. It still makes a point even today. So maybe it would be good for us to take a look and find ourselves in the story.
Pride Can Dress Up and Look Really Good in Church
The Pharisees were the religious police of Jesus’ time. If they could catch you doing wrong then they would rat you out and it would cost you. They walked around with their nose in the air and felt that they were the favored ones of God. Anyway, you get the picture; you don’t invite these guys over for your barbecue.
This Pharisee comes into the temple and cases the room. He is going to pray but first he looks around to see who else is at temple that day. It seems that if he came to pray he would get alone with God and not make a show. But, then again, he is a Pharisee and that is what their prideful hearts loved to do. He begins his prayer with a list of things to avoid. He lists some sins he does not commit and reminds God that not only is he thankful but maybe the Lord should give him a fist bump as well. He lists these things and then even looks over at the tax collector and thanks God he is nothing like him.
Just listing what he doesn’t do was not enough for this guy. Now he goes into the list of the good things he does do. Grant it they are some good things that he does well with doing them. But seriously, do you have to go with the list trying to impress God. The Pharisee lays it out there for God and I’m just guessing that he was praying out loud also. Making sure everyone knew just how good he was doing with his righteousness. That is what pride can do to all of us. We look at ourselves and then find someone who is worse and pump ourselves up. When we stop and realize that we have nothing to be prideful about. Much less this old comparison game just leads to greater frustration and makes us even more of a jerk at times.
Humility Really Looks Good at Church on a Sunday
The tax collector walks into the synagogue and looks for a corner to hide. He does not walk in with a list of the bad things he doesn’t do. Instead he walks in realizing that he does the worst thing. He takes advantage of his fellow Jews. He collects taxes for Rome and then pads his own pockets with a little for himself. When he goes to church he is well aware of who he is and what he has done. He is humbled by his own memory of failure and disappointment. His life doesn’t bring pride, but a constant reminder of how far he has fallen from God’s grace.
He cannot even look up when he prays, so you for sure know he doesn’t even look around. He knows that his sins are heavy and that his heart is not what it should be or even close. He says a simple prayer: “God, have mercy on me a sinner.” That is how humility works. When we open our hearts to God his mercy can heal what is broken within us.
Humility not Pride Get God’s Attention
Jesus tells the crowd that only one person left justified with God that day. It was not the religious man but the sinful man who understood his need of God’s mercy and grace. It is the opposite of what you would expect. But that is not different than what God has been doing since time began. Choosing the underdog, the least deserving to be the ones He works in and through. That is why He is so amazing. He chooses us in spite of who we are. His love just extends to those who do not think much of themselves.
A Couple of Questions…
How often do we slip into the Pharisee zone?
Where does your heart tend to land when it comes to others?
Here is a rhyme to help you remember this story:
If I make a big deal out of me, God will deal me some humility.
Let that thought roll around in your head and heart. Jesus told us that if we try to put ourselves first we will get moved to the back. If we don’t worry about our seat at the table God will provide a place for us. He is just that way. He loves to make a big deal out of something or someone that is not that big. Will you join him in this journey of humility and see just what he does with you?