Jesus shares the story of two men who went to the temple to pray, yet their prayers could not have been more different. The Pharisee stands proudly, thanking God for all that he is not, all that he is better than and all that he has accomplished and done of his own free will. is prayer is very “I” focused and fixates on the lie of comparison to others that he feels better than. “Thank You, God, that I am not like other men… especially that tax collector.”
Meanwhile, the tax collector stands at a distance with his head low, not even feeling worthy enough to lift his eyes toward Heaven. Beating his chest, he cries out for mercy, acknowledging that he is a sinner in need of forgiveness.
Our Heavenly Father delights in humility. He already knows our sinful nature, yet He willingly extends forgiveness to the repentant heart. The Pharisee likely appeared righteous compared to the people around him. By worldly standards, he probably looked like a stand-up guy. But compared to the perfection of Jesus Christ? He, too, fell painfully short.
How often do we catch ourselves doing the same? We boast about our spiritual “resumes” with great pride.
”I go to church on Sundays.”
”I volunteer in this outreach program.”
”I read my bible four days this week.”
”I give to the poor.”
Is there anything wrong with these? Absolutely not! But are you doing them out of a love for God or to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others? When you are praying, is your intimate time with the Lord focused on Him, or does your conversation contain a whole lot of “I, me, myself”?
It takes deep intimacy with the Lord to recognize this posture in ourselves and begin surrendering our prayers to God’s will, God’s strength, and God’s voice instead of our own. We are meant to come before the Father with our flaws exposed, not hidden behind spiritual performance. God I know that I am unworthy, I recognize that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness.
What would you not put on your spiritual resume? Is it your temper? Maybe you have a spirit of unforgiveness. Some of us chase after control and the idea of surrendering that control to God’s plan sounds terrifying. Possibly life is just handing you a lot right now and you are having a difficult time hiding your annoyance.
Whatever you are hiding today, bring it before the Lord. (Spoiler: He already knows.) God welcomes a repentant heart. There is no fear of shame or condemnation when we live transparently before our Maker.
The Pharisee left the temple full of pride, leaving little room for God’s grace. But the tax collector positioned himself to receive it. Who was ultimately filled that day?