HE WAS WRONG…

HE WAS WRONG…

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14

It seems to me that Jesus is teaching that if a person stands before God professing themselves to be righteous…God perceives them as exalting themselves…lifting themselves up above others…so God takes it upon Himself to cut them down…

But, if a person stands before God and profess themselves to be sinners…then God sees that they have already cut themselves down…so God lifts them up!

If you exalt yourself you’ll be humbled…but if you humble yourself you’ll be exalted…and…the humbling and the exalting will be done by God…or more precisely…by God’s Law!!

Jesus was always teaching His followers to humble themselves…in the previous chapter in Luke He had told the Apostles…So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17:10

Even after they had kept ALL the commandments…they were to SEE themselves as unprofitable servants!  But notice…Jesus didn’t say they would be unprofitable servants…He’s simply telling them HOW they should see themselves…and what they should call themselves!

Then, in the very next chapter…the 18th chapter of Luke…Jesus tells them of the two men who went up to the temple to pray…and that the one who called himself a Sinner, went home RIGHT before God…while the one who saw himself as a Saint…went home WRONG before God.

That so-called righteous man in the story reminds me of the church-going people of today…calling themselves Saints, and seeing themselves as better than Sinners!

What was the first thing the righteous man told God?…God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers…

He thinks he’s better than such people, in God’s eyes!  He was WRONG…and anyone who thinks like him…is WRONG!!!

Son of Forty