What He Said About Spiritual Pride Series

The problem with the Pharisee was not that he wasn’t good at a lot of things… the problem was that he was bad at humility. He was of the charts when it came to spiritual pride.

What kind of person says, “I thank God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. I’m certainly not like that tax-collector!”?

There was a young woman who struggled with pride who went to her pastor and confessed, “Pastor, I have a besetting sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and I can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not think that, but I can’t help it. I want you to help me with it.”

The pastor relied, “”Mary, don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake.”

The Pharisee’s lack of humility and abundance of pride was his problem. Of all the things God hates, pride ranks right up there at the top of the list: There are six things the Lord hates – no seven things he detests.

Haughty eyes (pride) , a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. Proverbs 6:16-19

John Burke, pastor of Gateway Church in Austin, Texas, assumed that he was not a judgmental person. But just in case he was wrong, he tried an experiment. For a whole week he kept track of his judgments about other people. Here's what he discovered:

I watch the news and condemn those "idiotic people" who do such things. Most reality TV shows are full of people I can judge as sinful, ignorant, stupid, arrogant, or childish. I get in my car and drive and find a host of inept drivers who should have flunked their driving test—and I throw in a little condemnation on our Department of Public Safety for good measure! At the store, I complain to myself about the lack of organization that makes it impossible to find what I'm looking for and who picks that music anyway? I stand in the shortest line, which I judge is way too long because, “for heaven’s sake people, it says '10 items or less,' and 1 count more than that in three of your baskets—what's wrong with you people?" And why can't that checker check and what is she wearing? Come on people focus so we can get out of here? As I reflected on John Burke’s comments I found myself reminding myself of my own judgment of those guys who wear their all askew on their heads and let their pants droop down below their backsides… “For Pete’s sake, put your hat on straight and pull up your pants!”

Judging is our favorite pastime, if we're honest—but we're not! We're great at judging the world around us by standards we would highly resent being held to! Judging makes us feel good because it puts us in a better light than others. (John Burke, Mud and the Masterpiece (Baker Books, 2013), pp. 60-61)

“I thank God I am not a sinner like other people and especially so that I am not like that tax-collector.”

Then there was the Tax-Collector’s Prayer.