The Better Man

August 6

(Luke 18:10-12 NIV) “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. {11} 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. {12} I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”

(Proverbs 16:18-19 NIV) “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. {19} Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”

(1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NIV) “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. {27} But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. {28} He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, {29} so that no one may boast before him. {30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. {31} Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

The Pharisee approached God with extreme confidence. His prayer was mostly a list of his godly attributes. He didn’t rob others or commit adultery. He fasted and tithed. But his prayer was boastful. His desire to be separate had morphed into a desire to be known as superior to others. In his rising above sin, he had elevated himself above everyone else. His idea of godly prayer was reciting a list of bad things he didn’t do, and boasting in joy that he wasn’t like the tax collector standing nearby. He just knew he was the better man. He ended up sermonizing more than praying. Christians, we must not mistake the call to rise above sin as a call to rise above other people. We must not exchange doing things for God’s glory, for doing things that bring us glory. The honest believer will remain a humble believer. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day