#DailyDevotion Humble Yourself Before God With A True Confession
Luke 18:9-14 9Jesus told this parable to some who were sure they were righteous and so looked down on everyone else: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself: “God, I thank You I’m not like the other people: robbers, wrongdoers, adulterers, or even like that tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all my income.’ 13“But the tax collector, standing a distance away, wouldn’t even look up to heaven but was beating his chest and saying, ‘God, forgive me, a sinner! 14“I tell you, this man, and not the other, went home justified [declared free from his sin]. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled; but if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”
We probably should be clear here. Jesus is not telling thing parable against those who correct, rebuke, and exhort their fellows to do right. To assume those who do such things as being self-righteous is well, judgmental and Jesus is speaking more to those who assume this than those who doing the correcting. He is speaking to those who think they are better than other people and who think they do no wrong.
So let’s look at this parable a little. You have two men, a Pharisee and a tax collector. Now look at what the Pharisee says, “God, I thank You I’m not like the other people: robbers, wrongdoers, adulterers, or even like that tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all my income.” Now you might think he’s not that bad, after all, he is thanking God so it seems he is at least giving God the credit for what he is not. He may have gotten away with it except when he says, “or even like that tax collector.” Now he is judging for certain. It’s gone from the abstract to the personal. He’s comparing himself to others. On top of that, he is bragging to God how virtuous he is by fasting and tithing.
Now the tax collector humbly comes before God, head down, beating his chest in repentance prays, “God, forgive me, a sinner.” Jesus tells us this man went home justified. He humbled himself before the LORD. To be humble is to have a right appraisal of yourself. To confess simply, you are a sinner is a good assessment of yourself. To compare yourself to others is not being humble unless that other is God and you realize you are not God. Did Jesus have in mind any particular Pharisee or tax collector? We don’t know. We do know Matthew and Zachaeus were tax collectors they followed Jesus whereas more often than not the Pharisees did not. In the Eastern Church they have made a whole meditative prayer practice of praying the tax collectors prayer and call it the Jesus Prayer. It goes like this, “LORD Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a poor sinful being.” You could call it the original “sinners prayer.” It’s not a bad prayer if you mean it.
Jesus quotes us the proverb, “If you honor yourself, you will be humbled. But if you humble yourself, God will lift you up.” Jesus humbled himself to death on a cross and the Father exalted him to his right hand. Humble yourself before God, confess your sins, trust Jesus’ death on the cross is your only hope and you will be seated with Christ.
Heavenly Father, grant us true humility of heart so we may humble ourselves before you in trueness of heart and be lifted up by you at the proper time. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.