There is NO Self-Righteousness

This morning I felt like I should read from Luke's Gospel.  I turned to chapter 18 and after reading through the whole chapter the following passages grabbed my attention - Luke 18:9-14 NIV:

[9] "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: [10] “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] 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. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

[13] “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.'

[14] “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.”

This is such an interesting story, for Jesus is addressing the Pharisees as well as the rest of the people who followed Him.  The Pharisees were the ones that held themselves as righteous according to the law, they were the experts on God's word and had spent their lives pursuing this path of righteousness.  These were the people that others looked up to, in regards to the religious purity, yet they were the people that Jesus confronted the most often, showing them how they were misunderstanding the purpose of the Law.

The Pharisees pursued external works as a way to righteousness, and Jesus is calling them to consider their hearts instead.  Fasting and tithing, regular church attendance, etc. does not earn anyone righteousness. In fact these things can become a source of pride in our lives, as we judge others who don't do these things as worse than ourselves.  The truth is that all of us are sinners, and have gone astray (Is. 53:6) and our only righteousness comes from Jesus (See Romans 1-5).  There is NO self-righteouness.  None of us is any better than anyone else in terms of righteousness on our own, it is only through our faith in Christ Jesus.  If the gift is the same, how can we think of ourselves as better than others?

It is true that by the grace of God, and through our love for Him, that some of us have started to conform our lives to Him.  Our calling is to be like Him, to become like Him, to represent Him to the world.  Our lives become our witness and the people around us view our lives.  We want our lives to point to Christ.  Jesus was constantly pointing to His Father, constantly representing Him to the world, and we are called to do the same.  This isn't a competition to see who can be the most righteous, the most pure, the most holy.  Instead we called to relationship with the Lord, and invited to introduce others to Him.

So I am reminded today of my own sinfulness, my own need for righteousness through faith in Jesus, and I am so grateful that He has saved me. I want o walk humbly in the knowledge that it is all about Him, and I have just accepted the most fantastic gift ever given.  It isn't something I earned, but rather it is the free gift of the Lord because of His love for me.

Amen.