In Luke 18:9-14, we read the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. This story teaches us that we should not look at ourselves as better than others because of what we have or are able to do.
The Pharisee in the story thought he was better than others because he followed the law and had studied all of the scripture. He appeared to be holy on the outside, but his heart was not in the right place. The tax collector, on the other hand, knew he was a sinner and humbled himself before God.
So what does this mean for us? First, what does it mean to be humble? One definition that I like is – not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Ways we can be humble include putting others first, being thankful for all that we have, being willing to share, and treating others the way we would like to be treated.
The Pharisee thought that he was doing great because he was doing better than those around him. However, the error in his thinking was that other people are not the standard for righteousness, God is. We will always fall short of the righteousness of God. The tax collector knew this, and that is why he was humble. Luke 18:13 says – “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “
We don’t want to be like the Pharisee who thought it was more important to look good. We want to be like the tax collector who was more focused on wanting to do good by first being humble. When you focus on God and not comparing yourself to others, you can be thankful and put others first.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to be more like the tax collector in this story by realizing that we are sinners and are saved by Your grace. Please help us to keep the right perspective by being thankful for all that You do for us and to put others first. In Jesus’ name, Amen.