Walk Humbly
In Jesus’s story, a Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee thanks God that he isn’t a sinner like the tax collector. The tax collector is so full of shame that he wouldn’t look to the heavens. He prays for God to have mercy on him. Jesus says that it’s the tax collector who went home justified because of his humility.
Teaching Notes
"When Jesus returns there will be ultimate justice, but until then it’s just us."
- Dr. Efrem Smith
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
God’s will for our life is CLEAR,
we tend to COMPLICATE it so we don’t have to OBEY it.
wə·haṣ·nê·a‘
Making a humble walk or to showing a humble walk with God
“When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 11:2 | CSB
’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā — Elohim means “he is power”
The importance of it
“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people — greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’”
Luke 18:9-12 | CSB
“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
What it really is
““But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner! ’”
Luke 18:13 CSB
“Humility is not thinking less of yourselves, but thinking of yourself less”
“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles.”
Psalms 34:6 CSB
The power to do it
“I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Luke 18:14 CSB
’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā — 325 Occurrences construct of Elohim means “he is power”
“Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.””
Matthew 26:39 | CSB
“he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,”
Philippians 2:8-9 | CSB
The strangely good news of the parable is that the role of the tax collector is available to all of us through the power of a humble confession found in the life and resurrection of Jesus.