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Article Archive |
2008
SELF-RIGHTEOUS
by Jim Morris
A strange man came by an office one day. The man said that he felt the manager's soul was in grave danger and he was burdened to warn him. The employees raised their eyebrows as the manager took the man back to his office.
“What could be going on?” they wondered. They knew the manager's soul probably was in grave danger. Though he attended church regularly, he acted like a pagan away from the church building. He spent much of his time at the office surfing porn sites or checking on the stock markets rather than managing the company. However, he viewed himself as a model Christian. After all, he was wealthy. Everyone could see that God had blessed him. He was special and not like other people.
After a while the strange man left the office silently. His face was sad and concerned. Then the manager swaggered up to the employees with a look of victory.
The manager bragged, “Well, that crazy guy said that my life was not right so I asked him about baptism. I asked him if he worshiped at the church of Christ. I put him on the spot by asking him all kinds of questions. Of course, that stupid guy didn't have the answers and that was the end of that! I was right and he was wrong. I am here and he is gone!”
In Luke 18, Jesus told His disciples a parable to warn them about “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else” (18:9).
Jesus said, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get’” (18:10-12).
Pharisees, in their pride and self-assurance, considered themselves to be the “defenders of the faith.” They were the “separate ones.” After all, they were wealthy. Everyone could see that God had blessed them. They were special and not like other people.
Jesus continued, “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner’” (18:13).
Tax collectors were considered to be robbers, traitors, sinners. Yet, this man in deep sorrow and agony felt compelled to approach God with only one purpose--forgiveness. As words failed him, he made his request, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
How do we approach God? As the Pharisee or this tax collector?
Jesus concludes, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (18:14).
08-06-08
# 32
