The Girl Who Makes God Smile October 1/ 2013 Scripture reading: Luke 18:9-10 "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.” (Luke 18:9-10) Picture this: A “good” Christian girl stands in church and prays, “God, thank you that I’m not like other girls who sleep around, party, smoke, drink, and swear—like that tattoo-covered girl over there who’d probably hook up with anyone. What’s she doing here?!” Meanwhile, the other girl, who was indeed guilty of all those things, prays tearfully, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” That’s basically the same story as the one Jesus told in Luke 18. While Jesus’ original version involved a Pharisee and a tax collector at the temple, the message of the story is the same. And it’s a message you can’t afford to miss. See, Jesus told this story to people who thought they were better than everybody else. And sometimes we can have that same attitude. But in this story we get a close look at what matters to God. Even though the Pharisee had never done the same awful things as the tax collector, the Pharisee’s prayer did not make him right with God. But the tax collector made God smile that day. That’s because the tax collector recognized his sin, confessed it, and surrendered himself openly to the mercy of God. The most important difference between the two men wasn’t their actions; it was their hearts. One man exalted himself while the other humbled himself—and that made all the difference. Be honest; which do you do? If you were a girl in the first story, would you be patting yourself on the back for how good you are, or would you be surrendering yourself to the mercy of God? If you don’t care for the answer, just remember that it’s never too late to change roles. You, too, can be the girl who makes God smile. JESUS TOLD MANY STORIES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE VALUE OF HUMILITY IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. CHECK OUT SOME OF THEM IN LUKE 18:9-30. ~ God, once again I’m reminded that you care more about my heart than anything else. Give me humility to recognize my sin and trust in your mercy… Amen!~
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 08:23:31 +0000
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