I Am A Sinner

The tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 18:13-14

JESUS’ STORY about the Pharisee and tax collector begins, “Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else” (verse 9). Evidently Jesus could see past the Pharisees’ strict observance of the law and recitation of the Torah and look deep into their hearts. And what he saw was a tremendous amount of self-righteousness that generated arrogant scorn for others.

We don’t want to think of ourselves as self-righteous. Yet without realizing it, we often exude aloofness and superiority. Our conversations in the car and across the dinner table reveal that we don’t like others’ morals, their music, or their preferred news channel. It comes out with our kids as we talk with them about other people. We can easily sound as if we think that if everyone else were like us, the world would be a much better place.

God wants to change the conversation from what’s wrong with everyone else to what’s wrong with us. He wants to lead us to a place of repentance and dependence on his mercy. A hard heart never admits anything. But when the people of God melt and confess their sins, that’s when the presence of Jesus is felt among us. It’s our repentance, not our perfection, that makes the beauty of Christ shine through our lives and through our families.

Lord, we’re much more comfortable talking about the faults and the sins of others than we are confessing our own. And we’re realizing this is an area where we must take the lead —to become the chief repenters in our home. Lord, forgive us for exalting ourselves as those who don’t struggle against temptation and who never fail when tempted. Give us the courage and grace to humbly name our sin in the presence of our family so that we become more than simply parents and children but also brothers and sisters in Christ.