Exalted Humility

 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

Are you proud of your humility?
Do you gloat about being different?
Can you point to your praiseworthy
nature, number your excellent traits?
Do you point out to God your superiority?
Are you confident in your righteousness?

Had Jesus seen you as lacking righteousness
would you have cringed and claimed humility?
Would you have argued he’s misunderstood superiority?
Surely he should have understood how different
were your nature and the unrelated traits
of the other man who certainly couldn’t be as praiseworthy

Could Jesus possibly call an admitted sinner praiseworthy?
How could the sinner see himself as having righteousness?
Did he see no difference in greatness and in lesser traits…
well, naturally the fellow would have humility
though it certainly would be a very different
way of defining the term superiority!

Looking at the tax collector, he deserved superiority
at least in boldness, since praying in person was praiseworthy,
for the man’s gall though in a totally different
direction…but it did seem he admitted lacking in righteousness
and he had to have humility
to show up and admit his traits!

He did stand at a distance, showing traits
indicating a level of understanding superiority
to people who disdained him and his humility
which in a different context might be praiseworthy
and evidence of an innate righteousness
to say the least, from the norm, different.

Jesus showed righteousness of praiseworthy humility
and communicated different traits demonstrated righteousness.