Week 12 Day 2 Devotions
Mourn or Despise
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men—
robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” Luke 18:11
Judging others is a hindrance to our growth in personal holiness not because it is inherently bad or sinful, but because of what it can lead to. The Pharisee in this parable is almost to be admired; it seems that he is honest, upright and morally pure and in the verse that follows some of his religious characteristics are mentioned when we are told that he fasts regularly and tithes his income. He might even sound like the type of person you would like as a neighbour and when he became your neighbour you would probably encourage him to join your church.
The problem is that while you would like him as a neighbour and fellow church member, he would not like you as a neighbour or as a fellow church member! Why? Because he would despise you and he would despise you because it is in his nature, his judging nature that is, to see the worst in all those around him and to only see the best in himself. This is what judging others can lead to. He knew that this person was a tax collector and so automatically assumed the worst of him and is blind to any redeeming features that the tax collector might have. Judging others can very quickly lead to pride and when this
leads on to spiritual pride (remember the first Beatitude) we become blinded to the fact that we are all created in the Image of God. Then, rather than seeing another person who, like us, is created in the Image of God, we see someone who is a………, or someone who is from…….., or someone who used to………..( you fill in the spaces with what for you are undesirable people, or undesirable places or undesirable personal histories).
While it is true that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of the Lord, our growth in personal holiness gets absolutely nowhere as long as we are consumed with judging others and not ourselves. Honest self-judgment which leads to confession, repentance and desire for change will bear the good fruit of a growth in personal holiness, which will in turn cause us to mourn (remember the second Beatitude) rather than despise the sin which we see in the world around us and in the people around us.
Lord help me this day
to mourn and not despise.
