richard navarro

If we look just a little bit further into the book of Luke in chapter 18 verse 9-14 we find the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector : To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

We find that the tax collector saw his own heart for what it really was...it was full of sin and he knew that he needed mercy. The Pharisee on the other hand was so proud of "his good works" and was depending on them to be acceptable to God. To answer the question we must first know the definition exalt is defined as: to hold (someone or something) in very high regard; think or speak very highly of- in this case the Pharisee. And humbled is defined as:having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.- the tax collector. So to exalt yourself is usually a sign of pride, to humble yourself is a sign of honesty. Pride of life is a sin, but to be honest is truth.

January 05 2015 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report