Two men. One on a street corner in full view of all. The other around the corner, mostly out of sight, trying not to call attention to himself. One is cocky. The other embarrassed.
There’s a part of me that feels confident, a bit too proud, bordering on smug. I know I’ve tried to be the person God wants me to be. I look around and see others whose lives are an absolute mess, and I’m grateful that I seem to have it more together.
That attitude brings with it several risks. I might be tempted to feel superior, looking down my nose at those I feel are less. I can gloss over my own failings, brushing them aside, feeling they are minor compared with the gaping sin of others. It’s likely to leave me feeling I have arrived, with little need to fine-tune my soul, that I will be a blessing to Heaven instead of a grateful sinner.
Then there’s the other side of me that stands in an alley off the main street, trying to hide in a doorway, keeping quiet, wishing to be invisible.
This is the side of me that knows myself best. My weaknesses. My failures. My history of disappointing a Lord who has done so much for me.
You may have already figured out that this is based on the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Jesus, found in Luke 18:9-14. Jesus honors the humility of the tax collector who confesses he has disappointed God and begs for mercy. Jesus calls out the Pharisee for his self-righteous attitude.
This isn’t the only time scripture talks about our need to be honest about the health of our soul.
Romans 3:10 [NIV] As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one”
Matthew 7:3-5 [NIV] Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Romans 3:23 [NIV] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), perhaps better titled The Parable of the Waiting Father, I am both of the sons in the story. I have at times wandered off away from my Heavenly Father. At other times I’ve been prideful that others have wandered much further. I know I need to follow the example of the Prodigal and humble myself before my Lord.
It’s best that I remind myself that I remain a work in progress, and will until the day I pass.
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Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.
Copyright © 2023 by Dave Soucie. All rights reserved [but permission is granted for non-commercial use only, with proper citation].
Dave Soucie 