Luke 18:9-14, HUMILITY vs. pride (2)

b)    From the story in Luke 18:9-14, what difference can be seen between the proud man and the humble man?  The humble man acknowledges his sin while the proud man looks for the sin in others.

c)    Where does pride come from?  To be sure, it has its source in the evil heart (Mark 7:21-22).  1 John 2:16 says the “pride of life” is a fundamental part of what runs this world.  The world fosters pride, but it is not the source.  The world is filled with pride because the world is filled with evil people.  To be humble before God requires a change of heart, a “new birth.”

d)    According to Jeremiah 9:23-24 our pride is exposed in how we “boast” or “brag” about ourselves.  Perhaps the most common areas are our riches, strength and wisdom.  We boast about these things as being from our own strength.  Note: it does not say we lack these things.  That is irrelevant.  What is commanded is that we not boast in these things.  Why do we have this command?  It’s not that these things might fail us.  That is not the point.  Rather, boasting of these things takes away from the glory of the God who created us and who gave us these things.  Our lives need to be a testimony to this: That he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. 

i)      As you think about this, consider what Paul said in Gal. 6:14: God forbid that I should glory (boast) except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The context deals with religion.  In religion men devise ways they can reach God and be found right with Him.  In the case of Judaism, being circumcised was part of the religion (v12-13).  Those who promoted this idea, Paul rightly says, were only trying to gain a following so they could “boast” in how important they were.  Paul wanted to do what the Lord said through Jeremiah.  He only wanted to “brag about” what God had done in giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross for the sins of the world.

ii)   Can you see how important this is to our everyday lifestyle?  Pride and humility are as simple as what we like to talk about the most.  Look at what I have!  Look at what I did!  Look at who I am! 

e)    Read Prov. 27:21. You find out the worth of gold by the refining pot.  You find out the worth of a man by what others say of him.  Is it because our value depends on having lots of “likes”?  No!  The truth about our character is revealed not in the good things people say but in our reaction to those things.  As we often say, “we let it go to our head!”  Matt. 14:5 (Herod the tetrarch), Mark 11:32 (the religious leaders of Jesus’ day) and Acts 12:3 (Herod the king) are illustrations of people who were motivated by the “praise of men.”  Perhaps you will remember that God gave Paul a “thorn in the flesh” to help protect him from this problem (2 Cor. 12:7).