Real Humility

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’  But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’  Luke 18:9-13

Jesus told the parable of a Pharisee and a tax collector who  were in similar situations but each had very different results. One of them had real humility and the other had a fake humility. When He told this story, the audience were those who looked down on everyone else. Today, we can most likely think back and find a situation in our own lives to make this story appropriate to us. 

The first person in this story was a Pharisee. One of the things we see in this story, is that God is most impressed when aren't trying to impress Him. The Pharisee, however, was arrogant. He had a heart for religion, but his religion had no heart in it. He had picked a strategic place right in the center of the temple so that all could hear him tell God just how wonderful he was. His prayer focused on himself. There is nothing wrong with what the Pharisee did by fasting and giving beyond what was expected. But the issue was that he was not giving with the right motive. He thought that giving beyond what was expected would gain him special recognition from God and he would get to heaven by his works. He thought he was impressing God.

The other person in the story was a tax collector. Tax collectors during this time were consider a traitor to their people. They charged high rates and would take money for themselves. The tax collector in this parable stood away from the others and prayed humbly asking for God's mercy. Real humility will show, and we see it clearly here. Looking on the outside, the Pharisee would have been thought of as being very close to God. But on the inside, the despised tax collector was the one who was really close to the Lord. He was not afraid to admit that he was a sinner. God was impressed with the simple humility of this man. Jesus said that the prayer of the tax collector was answered.

I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.  Luke 18:14

God sees each of us for what we are. He knows exactly how proud we are, or how humble we are. Try as hard as we can, by doing good things, being a good neighbor, attending church every time the doors are open, or reading the Bible all the way through, there is nothing we can do to earn His forgiving grace. It is freely given by God to those of who humbly acknowledge Him as the only way. We are redeemed because Christ died for us on the cross. Believe, and receive His gift. 

Real Humility. It's the only way.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24