Humility

Humility Luke 18:9-14

1. There are two characters in this Parable one had No regrets about life

• The Pharisee, standing by himself, Pharisees stood apart from the crowd to preserve their purity before God.

• He was Praying ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people:

• thieves, rogues or scoundrels, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

• 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ He was a man who practiced the disciplines of refraining from eating along with making generous donations to the temple

2. The Tax Collector or Publican had all kinds of Regret

• “But the tax collector,” said Jesus, “standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (v. 13).

• In contrast to the Pharisee, the tax collector was full of regrets.

• The Tax Collector knew there was so much he could not fix. He begs for mercy!

3. Jesus finishes the Parable by saying

• “I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted” (v. 14).

• The tax collector went home justified, which means that he was restored to a right relationship with God. I think mainly the tax collector was humble.

• The Pharisee, on the other hand, was not justified, which means that he remained out of whack with God.

4. I think most people really do want to do the right thing and have some form of humility

• The tax collector cared about being right with God so he confessed his sins and asked for God’s mercy. He was humble enough to know that he needed help,

• God is willing to help us turn our lives around and head in a new direction.

• God will forgive people who say, “God be merciful on me a sinner”

5. How do people see or acknowledge a Christian?

• Yes, we think of ourselves as being giving, compassionate, loving and respectful — that’s how Christians tend to describe other Christians,

• But according to a recent survey by the Episcopal Church. When non-Christians are asked to describe Christians, they tend to use words such as “hypocritical,” “judgmental” and “self-righteous.”

• Bishop Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. Says, “There is a disconnect between the reality of Jesus and the perceived reality of Christians,”

6. Humility is vital to being a Christian

• The apostle Paul tells us to be humble, He urged the Philippians “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4).

• Jesus, who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross” (vv. 7-8).

• Jesus was Humble and self-emptying These are the qualities of Jesus Christ and his true followers, Remember, said Jesus, “all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

• Humility serves others sacrificially, as we follow a Lord who “came not to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).

• We are “full of broken thoughts” about things “we cannot repair.” Just be humble and follow Jesus “Lord be merciful on me a sinner!”