Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

It strikes me that this is a very necessary counterpoint to the story of the lost sheep in yesterday’s reading. In the story of the lost sheep, Jesus referred to those who don’t need to repent. Here, he is speaking of someone who judges himself as not needing to repent. The whole point is one of humility, which comes out not only in the explanation of this parable in verse 14, but also in what Jesus said about receiving the kingdom of God like a little child in verse 17. We are never to ignore sins, much less commit them, in order to have something of which to repent, but neither are we to be confident of our own righteousness, as Jesus says here. Paul hit the right balance in 1 Corinthians 4:4. “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” We are never to let sin fester; as soon as we become aware of it we are to repent. However, we are also not to assume that because we aren’t aware of anything, there’s nothing there. Our righteousness is never sufficient, as Isaiah noted. (Isaiah 64:6) As the old hymn says it so beautifully, “My hope is build on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…. Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” The difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector was whether they were aware of their sin. The righteousness of Christ is available to us by faith, but we will accept it only when and if we realize we need it.

This has been huge in my life. I committed myself to Jesus as a boy of seven but drifted off into spiritual conceit over the years, until the Lord tapped me on the shoulder, figuratively speaking, and showed me a mirror. I was devastated at how despicable I was, and have never gotten away from that awareness that I am totally dependent on the righteousness of Christ. My mother once shared with me how she was baptized at age five after coming to a clear awareness that she had committed sin, without anyone else knowing about it, and knowing she needed the cleansing blood of Jesus. Now that is exceptional! As a pastor I am to be careful that I don’t bring people into the church (baptize them) because it feels good, to them or to me, but because they have recognized and repented of their sinfulness and committed to Jesus Christ as Lord. At the same time I am not to turn people away because their understanding isn’t sufficiently “mature.” That would exclude people like my own mother!

Father, thank You that Your grace is sufficient, even for such a one as I am. Thank You that You are wise and I’m not. Help me see people with Your eyes, to know when they are ready for harvest so that I won’t do them and the church harm by being off in timing. May I be an effective tool in Your hands to bring people into Your family indeed, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!