Pride vs. Humility

MAIN POINT

We must replace pride with humility.

INTRODUCTION

When you were a teenager, what group were you and your friends most likely to look down upon?

What is one characteristic you had as a teenager that may have caused others to look down on you?

What attitude toward humility were you taught as a child:

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”

“Don’t toot your own horn”

“Being humble only gets you ignored”

“You’re the center of the universe”

“Never call attention to yourself”

Other?

In today’s passage, we will read a parable about a man who looked down on others who were not like him. By telling it, Jesus teaches us that the kingdom is given to a far different group of people (little children and the poor) than the ones traditionally thought to have earned it, because an attitude of repentant humility is required for being right with God. Pride is father of all sins, and the sin that repulses God from our lives. Jesus divides all humanity into two groups, not good and bad but humble and proud. We must replace pride with humility.

UNDERSTANDING

Luke 18:9–14 NLT

9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This parable relates to the parable that precedes it in verses 1-8, in that it pertains to prayer. However, it really belongs more with the two scenes that follow it: Jesus with the little children in verses 15-17, and Jesus with the rich young ruler in verses 18-30. The parable deals with the attitude of repentant humility required for being right with God, while the two subsequent scenes (vv. 15-17,18-30) emphasize the openness of faith and the absolute commitment to Jesus that is necessary.

What were some of the things the Pharisee was proud about?

What have you been proud of?

From what you see in the story, why do you think the Pharisee would have come to the temple to pray?

The Pharisees considered themselves superior to other Jews who were unable (or unwilling) to conform to their detailed interpretation of the Law of Moses. This typifies the attitude of a person who assumes—wrongly—that his or her performance in life satisfies God’s standards

While modern readers of the New Testament assume the Pharisees are “the bad guys” in the story, the original audience of this parable respected them as especially devout, godly people. Conversely, Jesus’ listeners would have considered a tax collector as vile as a robber or murderer. Tax collectors were considered traitors, because they collaborated with the Roman power in order to become wealthy.

How would you describe the attitude of the tax collector?

Why do you think he came to the temple to pray?

In what ways did the tax collector express humility before God? What was the significance of his various actions?

Why was the tax collector the one who went away justified, or in right standing before God?

What is your normal posture when you pray to God (kneeling, sitting, walking around, etc.)?

How does body position or posture affect the way you feel while you pray to God?

What is the difference between taking pride in an ability and “thinking too highly of yourself” because of it?

Where does one cross the line between healthy pride and egotism?

Normal prayer posture was not only standing, but with hands and eyes raised to heaven. This man was too ashamed to do this. In light of the ceremony under way at the temple, the tax collector pleaded that the atoning sacrifice might apply to him. He realized that this was his only hope before God. The surprising twist in the parable is that righteousness is a matter of humble self-recognition of sin and dependence upon the atonement God promises as a gift of grace.

Why do you think Jesus used a religious leader as his example of pride and a sinful tax collector as his example of humility? Couldn’t He have told the story the other way?Explain.

How does this parable impact your thinking about God and righteousness?

In verse 14 Jesus stated the unexpected reversal. The person who exalts himself will be humbled. The Pharisee judged himself to be approved and in no need of God’s forgiveness. Conversely, the person who humbles himself will be exalted. God bestows mercy on those who admit their inability to attain it for themselves. God approves the repentant heart.

APPLICATION

How do you feel right now in terms of your own standing before God?

Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, with “1” being “totally ashamed and humbled before God, like the tax collector” and “10” being “feeling pretty good about myself, like the Pharisee.”

Humility doesn’t come naturally. How can you develop an attitude of humility before God?

How do you feel about having the humility to admit your own shortcomings in front of this group? How does this group need to function in order to make it easier for you to do this?

PRAYER

Thank God that He sees the heart and judges rightly. Thank Him that redemption isn’t earned by achievement or goodness, but is a gift of grace. Invite God to help you identify areas of pride in your life and to develop a greater measure of humility in you in your understanding of who He is and who you are.