9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “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.’
13 “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.’
14 “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.” (Lk 18:9-14, NIV)
There are several things in this world that frustrate me, this is one. It frustrates me when a Christian (supposedly "one of our own), looks down their nose at another believer. It sends a cold chill down my back when somebody says "I sure am glad I'm not (insert name here)" and then tries to justify themselves by talking about how great they are because of the things they have done. UGH! That is a Pharisee, and Jesus battled Pharisees His whole ministry. Just because you have been dealt a "better hand" than someone else does not make you a better person.
You and I need to realize it is by the Grace of God we are where we are and nothing else. God has a way of making vs. 14 happen, "everyone who exalts (thinks too highly of themselves) will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted".
Remember when it comes to the children of God, there is none "better" than the other, we all get to God by way of the cross.
have blessed day, Chris
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