Luke 18:9-14 He who humbles himself will be satisfied

And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:  “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’  But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’  I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

So many times Jesus warns us not to hold ourselves in honor.  Instead he says that the least will be first, and the first last.  Why is that?  It is because good deeds are reckoned to our own mind as righteousness when the only rightness we have is found in our giving of ourselves to Christ.  Christ is righteous and that is our source of righteousness and holiness.  Apart from that, we are sinners.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, give me the strength to fully surrender my will to You.  This of course means dying to my own self, but living for you.  This is my and everyone’s call no matter rich or poor.  Let me rejoice in this.  Amen.