"Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this:
‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,
‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14 [NIV]
Recently I read “Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis. One of the things that particularly struck me was a chapter on pride, which he calls “the great sin” because it is the “complete anti-God state of mind”. He says that it is “…one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves”. The pride he is talking about is not pleasure in being praised for doing something, but the trouble that begins when you start thinking “what a fine person I must be to have done it”. People start to compare themselves with others to boost their ego further. The proud man never thinks he is wrong, or if he is he has a good reason for it, so sees no need for forgiveness. He doesn’t need God, and so has the worst fate there is.
Gerard Hughes expresses a similar view. In God of Surprises he writes “The greatest sin of which we are capable lies not in the body, but in our spirit, the sin of pride, a deep seated tendency to live as though all creation should praise, reverence and serve us and our interests”.
I wonder if sometimes as Christians we defend our behaviour because we’ve seen the truth, and therefore think we’re right in all things, confusing our pride in what God has done in us with pride in ourselves. We can’t be right all the time. We’re in danger of being like the Pharisee.
God calls us to be humble. What is the first step to acquiring humility? Realise that you are proud. Lewis adds “If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed”. That made me feel really uncomfortable.
Lord, may I always be aware of my true state before you. May I never think of myself as better than others. May I always be aware that I need you. Amen.
