December 17, 2015

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’ (Luke 18:9-12; NIV).

            It’s a funny thing when Jesus is Lord of your life. It turns everything upside down. The Pharisee in the parable above would have considered himself well-prepared. Everything was in its appropriate place in his life. His prayer life was strong; his stewardship was exemplary; he did the right stuff. But under the reign of God all of those good practices were spoiled by his self-righteousness; the smug attitude with which he conducted himself actually revealed that his heart was unprepared.

            You know, if you approach the manger with an attitude that says, “I’m a good person; more people should be like me,” you may not find anything extraordinary there—just a baby with an ‘aw-shucks, ain’t that cute’ kind of thing going on. But if you approach Bethlehem with a spirit of humility, you will see clearly what an extraordinary gift is given in the person of our Lord Jesus.