Luke 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Jesus tells this parable to help people see their life and to hopefully bring people into a better understanding of their own self. He tells of two polar opposites – Pharisee and publican. One was religious and strict in adhering to the law and everyday practice. The other was presented as shady and not in conformity to the law. One looked up and other looked down; one was well respected and the other hated & resented. Both were sinners and both men prayed; they both left the temple – one justified and the other was unchanged.
There are four aspects of our lives
- Before our self
What we think of our life from our view point. The Pharisee was proud of his accomplishments and thought that God would think that as well. He may have even thought that God should be glad he came to talk to Him. He recounted his virtues. How do we see our self? Paul tells us somethings Ro 12:3; Phil 2:1-8; Prov 25:27; Eccl 7:16; Gal 6:1-3. We should ot boast our salvation Ro 11:20-25. The Gentiles are saved because the Jews pushed Christ away but they were still on the list to be saved had the Jews remained faithful. We don’t lessen our worth. Some will look at their accomplishments and then get self-depressed over their past and present life.
- Before the family
We are more relaxed at home. What is our life like at home? Home is our refuge from the world and other people – the critics. How do we act/react around the family? Home is where we can feel safe revealing our inner emotions/secrets -- our struggles.
- Before others
People we encounter in the world. All the neighbors we live around; our peers we interact with; our fellow workers as well as employer. The shoppers at stores, the clerks and bank tellers -- how do we present ourselves to all those people? Would they reason that we are Christian by our interaction with them? Do our fellow workers feel free to tell off color stories around us?
- Before God
How does He see us? There is nothing hid before God; nothing is secret to Him. He not only sees our actions, but He knows our thoughts before we think them and our words before we speak them. He knows the motive behind all. Does He see us as the publican or the Pharisee?
We need to live a proper life before all. We need to be genuine and live a true Christian life. We are to be real in all areas of life; admit mistakes Jam 5:16. Admit to failures; don’t try to blame it on others and endeavor to live in the Spirit daily.