1/4/20 Cordell (see HERE)
Is the Bible relevant to people of today?
Much of it is simple history, which we can always learn
from. But what about teachings meant as
timeless truths, did they apply only to the culture of the time, or do they say
something about basic human nature?
A recent conversation with a young man named Cordell brought
to mind one of Jesus parables. At first
it seems only relevant to the Jewish culture Jesus told it in: “Two men went up
to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”
Cordell may not be Jewish like the Pharisees of the time,
nor attend a temple, nor is he involved in the treasonous business of working
for a foreign government like this tax collector. How could Jesus’ parable possibly relate to
him?
Let’s go on... “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. I fast twice a week and give a
tenth of all I get.’
Now, I didn’t get the impression Cordell was looking down
his nose at anyone. He turned out to be
a “professional shopper” – picking up and delivering groceries to fill an
order, so he was just minding his own business and out to make an honest living
like most people. He was kind enough to
take the time for our conversation, and seemed like a good guy compared to many
people.
In fact, most people I meet on the streets -just going about
their business - seem like good people, and I truly enjoy talking with and
getting to know them. But Jesus used
hyperbole – exaggerated caricatures of people – in order to make a point. He used them to explain not how we look to
one another, but to help us understand how we look to God.
The extremely religious Pharisee was very confident of his
own righteousness, and probably even congratulated himself for being so
thankful and appreciative. By
comparison, 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.’
When God looks at people, he sees the heart behind their
actions. Cordell knows this too, as he
explained to me that, although he isn’t religious, God knows his heart and can
see that he is an upright and honorable person.
Because of this, he is 100% confident that he would end up in heaven
because of his good behavior.
But God doesn’t judge us by human standards, comparing us to
those around us. His standard is His
moral law, such as the Ten Commands, which are meant to act as a mirror to help
us see ourselves as we really are in comparison to a holy God. And what we see may be shocking. It shocked the tax collector, because his
sins were so obvious, especially in a place so holy as God’s temple. But it didn’t shock the Pharisee, because
even there at God’s temple he looked past God’s holy standard and compared himself
to other people instead.
Are Jesus’ teachings still relevant today, or has human
nature changed so drastically since His time that his parables no longer
apply? His parable was directed toward
those “who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on
everyone else.” I didn’t have to go much
farther than my local grocery store to find that kind of self-righteous
confidence, and without the mirror of God’s word to compare ourselves to none
of us have to go any further than our own hearts.
Jesus concluded his parable by explaining “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.” Humility, not self-righteous
confidence, is what begins our path to God, and humility comes not from
comparing ourselves to others, but comparing ourselves to God’s Word.
Thanks for allowing me to record our conversation
Cordell! See it on my YouTube Channel
HERE at https://youtu.be/kFng3Qt-4gY
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