Marsha's Musings: Pharisees & Publicans

I have been convicted by the following passage of Scripture lately.

Luke 18:9 ¶ 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.

What bothers me is that I see myself in the Pharisee at times. When I see the belief systems of the false religions around me it is all too easy for me to puff myself up and point fingers and scoff at what they believe and do. Is this not what the Pharisee did? He said, "I thank thee, that I am not as other men are , extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican..." You could just as easily add the things that false religions do here.

I have to look at the Publican. He saw himself as a sinner in need of God's mercy and grace. He wasn't pointing fingers at others and what they do or believe that he thought was wrong. He realized that only the grace and mercy of God kept him from being in their shoes and he had no room to point fingers. This is very convicting.

Now, I am not saying we should not use discernment and that we should not speak the truth in love when error is being promoted. But what I am saying is that all too often I and many others have a tendancy to puff ourselves up in what we believe and look down our bony noses at those who "have not seen the light". I have been so guilty of this! I need to remember "but for the grace of God, there go I".