But there are some problems with focussing on our goodness in thanksgiving - even despite giving glory to God for it. One is that due to our sinful human nature provoking pride in us, we tend to overevaluate how good we are - especially in comparison to others. And as such we may not be dealing with sin in our lives, which prevents God from listening to us (以赛亚书59:1,2) Another thing is that we may underevaluate God's work in other people. Notice that the Pharisee puts down the tax collector. But while Ps 15:4 advocates despsing vile men, the very next thing it says is that the godly man "honors those who fear the LORD" and prior to that "casts no slur on his fellowman".
There are examples in the Bible, such as some of the Psalms, where the godly man acknowledges his own goodness in prayer. 诗篇18:21-23 "I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin." or 诗篇26:1-5 "I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked." (In fact the difference between Ps 26 and the Pharisee's prayer is rather subtle)
But in most cases the godly will give thanks for other people and not for themselves. "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips" 箴言27:2 For example 帖撒罗尼迦后书1:3 "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other"
"This is the one I esteem:These are the three essential characteristics a person must have before God will listen to him.
he who is humble and
contrite in spirit, and
trembles at my word."以赛亚书66:2
The Pharisee in this parable is characterized as one who is confident of his own righteousness and looks down on others. One application of this is that those who are confident of their own righteouness lack the humility necessary to obtain the righteousness which is from God, which Jesus offered. This lack of humility is often evident by the condescending attitude of the Pharisee while he fails to make an honest evaluation of himself. Jesus said "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." 马可福音2:17 Not that there are people who are righteous of themselves, but there are plenty who think they are. (Notice Luke 18:18-23)
Paul teaches extensively on this subject, particularly with respect to self-righteous Jews as in this parable.
"What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."Jesus' teachings dealt with this subject quite a bit. For example, notice the next two incidents that occur in Luke 18 after he taught this parable. They deal with humility and contriteness again.Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." 罗马书9:4-10
His writings in Romans chapters 2 and 3 also deal extensively with this subject.
If a person lacks humility, the presence of God has no effect on the person.
The humble will most commonly be convicted of sin.
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." 以赛亚书6:1"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." 以赛亚书6:5
The Old Testament is full of such examples. Consider Moses, for example, who was reckoned the most humble of his time. Consider what God put him through to get him to that point. And God commonly disciplines Israel in various ways as they sin in order that they may humble themselves and admit their sin.
申命记8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Another way to humiliate people is by pointing out their sin. God also does this by sending prophets. And this is what Jesus was doing when he taught this parable. However, realize that if you teach the way Jesus did, you may end of being crucified. It seems that Jesus was quite causal and unrestrained when it came to putting down the proud by pointing out their sin and even making fun of them in their hypocrisy as in this parable and very extensively in 马太福音23:13+. So it appears it's not always appropriate to "be polite" to the proud if we are to minister as Jesus did.
Secondly, it results in praise from God to the humble. For He appreciates an honest person more than one caught up in self-deception though he appear clean on the outside. And it is innate within righteous men to treat each other likewise. Practically all the great men of the Bible went through times of humiliation, which developed humility in them and which resulted in praise in the long term.
"He must increase and I must decrease" 约翰福音3:30
There are some who place confidence in themselves
While looking down on everyone else To them Jesus told this parable But if you are proud it may be unbearable. Two men went up to the temple to pray
"I thank you God that I am not like other men -
But the tax collector stood a distance away.
I tell you that this man, rather than the other
|