Walk Humbly With Your God

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat 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 everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

Jesus ends the parable with this lesson – everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. However, we can’t overlook whom He was telling this to – some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.

What Not to Do

In this example of the Pharisee, it’s not hard to see the pride he exudes, and most people would say it’s off putting. We all know someone who thinks too highly of themselves, and in their pride and self-righteousness they treat others badly. The thing is, we’re all susceptible to treating others poorly because of our pride, even if it’s less blatant than this example of the Pharisee. As human beings still stuck with a sin nature, we’re all prone to selfishness, self-righteousness, and pride. We should approach life with this remembrance so that we don’t become blinded by it.

It shouldn’t take committing super obvious sins to humbly come before God and acknowledge that we’re sinners. Even after we have accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation, we should regularly be repenting of our sin and seeking the merciful forgiveness of our incredibly loving and kind God; both coming humbly before Him and leaving humbled by His mercy yet exalted by His grace.

The heart of the matter is that those who are prideful trust in themselves for righteousness, and it will keep them from coming humbly and honestly before God. This is an issue for non-believers as well as for the followers of Jesus alike. Justification comes through faith in Jesus for salvation, which takes humility to repent and receive forgiveness and salvation. But also, for the follower of Jesus, remember what James said… But [God] gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6-10)

The Focus of Prayer

There was a vast difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee focused his prayer on himself and what he considered to be good things, listing off all that he has done or not done as proof of what he believed about himself and thanked God for it. Except, God had nothing to do with the Pharisee’s self-righteousness, and as James 4 mentioned, God was opposed to him in his pride. But the tax collector focused his prayer on God, trusting Him to be merciful as he plead for His mercy.

How we direct our prayers can itself be a heart check:

• Do you make your prayers about yourself, or do you focus your prayers on God?
• Is it more about bolstering yourself or pushing your will onto God, or about being humbled before God and aligning your heart with His will?
• Do you put others down when you include them in your prayers?

These are hard questions, and they might even cause a defensiveness in us, but they are important ones to ask ourselves because they can help us as we seek to humble ourselves before God and be more like Jesus…if we’re honest before God and with ourselves. And this truly is an issue of trust, just as the audience Jesus was addressing. Those who trust in themselves aren’t just dealing with an issue of pride, but also an issue of trusting God. By trusting in themselves, they’re in essence stating they don’t fully trust God. The tax collector knew that he didn’t deserve what he was asking God for as he acknowledged being a sinner, yet he trusted that God was merciful like He says He is as he prayed for mercy. He entrusted his entire life to a merciful God instead of trying to prove that he was somehow worthy in and of himself, like the Pharisee did.

So, what’s our takeaway, our application from this? I’ll leave you with what the prophet Micah told the people after the indictment of the Lord: “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8)