RTW October 21

Two Men Go To Church

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.”
Luke 18:10

 

 

My Takeaways

Something Old

The Pharisee wasn’t praying to God, he was talking to himself.

Something New

  • The perspective of our sin matters.
  • The posture of our prayer matters. (not necessarily physical posture)
  • The opinion of ourselves matters. (The Pharisee lifted himself up. )

Something to Do

Remember what matters when I approach God.

 

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2 Comments

  1. I was challenged my how I pray in public. I can often pray more for peoples praise or response than to humbly pour out my heart to God. I want to pray humbly and let God do the exalting.

    I also want convicted by how Jesus so freely welcomed the children and their parents and was not bothered by their interruptions. I have 3 kids 5 and under so the interruptions to my day are many and I can resent them at times. I want to be like Jesus and not allow these interruptions to bother me but to welcome them and their needs.

  2. My Takeaways: More Conversations with Jesus

    Something Old: Luke 18:9-14
    I, I, I, I, I – Five times the tax collecter used the word I. Very proud indeed, everyone should be grateful to him because he is so very commited. Fasting twice a week when the Mosaic law never even required it but once a year! This guy deserves a cookie even his tithes were impressive. I do believe that he felt as if God was somehow indebted to him and as a reward he would receive salvation. In contrast the tax collector was very humbled and had a spirit of repentance. Only God’s mercy and Grace would be able to deliver him. What a wise man he was for recognizing and repenting of his sin. Jesus said that he was justified before God. He was made righteous in God’s sight. My faith in Jesus Christ is enough, because Christ paid the price for my sin. It’s that simple. I want to be like the tax collector and stop playing games with Jesus— trying to impress him or hide from him, my sins. I just need to repent and follow Jesus, my faith will guide my ways.

    Something New: Jesus conversed with many in the reading today. As I read these conversations I realized they all taught the same lesson- salvation is not gotten but given. Other than God, no one on earth is good. The bottom line is that, in my fallen state, I can’t justify myself before God. Therefore, salvation is out of my reach. Salvation is not given to the perfect or the proud, but rather it is given to those with faith. “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:17). Even though saving faith is not natural to me; it is given to me supernaturally by God. I must never forget that the basis of my relationship with God is the cross.

    Something To Do: Pray that God will grant me grace to pour contempt on all my pride and to embrace the cross as the only route to his loving presence.

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