As I was preparing for this week’s message, I opened up my Bible and read the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector again (Luke 18:9-15). And again, when I got to the part where the Pharisee says, “Thank God I’m not like that tax collector,” I cringed. How could he act so arrogant? But when I got to the end and heard Jesus say that the tax collector was justified and the Pharisee wasn’t, I said, “Well, thank God I’m not like that Pharisee.”
And there it was. I fell into the trap without even realizing it. In trying to not be a Pharisee, I actually become one. On accident!
I think many of us do this. The problem with saying, “Thank God I’m not a Pharisee” is that we’re just as arrogant or prideful as he was. We compare our own rightness with someone else. Am I better? Yes? Great!
Larry Osborne calls us out in his book Accidental Pharisee:
“As you press forward in your faith, it’s inevitable that you begin to notice that some people lag behind. And it’s at this point that your personal pursuit of holiness can morph into something dangerous: a deepening sense of frustration with those who don’t share your passionate pursuit of holiness. Inevitably, being right will become more important than being kind, gracious, or loving.”
Being kind, gracious, and loving doesn’t stop with the tax collector. It includes loving the arrogant, the proud, the “I’m so awesome” crowd. The Pharisee. Being judgmental of judgmental people is still being judgmental.
When we are really transformed by God’s justification, we will live it out. When we receive grace, we should give it. And the more grace we get to cover up our sins, the more we should be willing to spread around, taking it by big handfuls and scattering as far as we can.
Refusing to be a Pharisee doesn’t mean we shift the focus of our righteous arrogance. It means we let go of it all together. This weekend, I gave you some practical steps to build a heart of humility. I want to give them to you one more time.
A Heart of Humility Takes an honest view of self
Do we see ourselves as we really are, or are we looking into a distorted mirror? James, the brother of Jesus, compared the scripture to a mirror that you can look intently into to find your own faults and failures. But if you turn from the mirror and make no changes, what good is it?
A Heart of Humility Admits Failure
How hard is it for you to admit you’re wrong? To say, “I’m sorry”? To agree with an opponent? True power is not in always being right, but in a willingness to change your mind when you are wrong.
A Heart of Humility Continually Fights Pride
None of us are immune to pride. In fact, as we grow closer to God and become more disciplined, the more easily we can judge those who aren’t. Part of maturity in Christ is the fight to keep those feelings in check.
A Heart of Humility Allows Differing Viewpoints to Sit Side-by-Side
This takes listening. Really listening. Again, James gives some great insights:
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-James 1:19
What are you willing to do each day to be more like the tax collector and less like the Pharisee? How will you react the next time you encounter an opinion different than yours, a situation where you may be wrong, or a person that is ripe for judgment?
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