Instructive Moment About Humility
Okay, you probably won't believe this, but I was actually delighted with the way Gire took the parable and put the other scriptural reference right into it. Yup, that's me the literalist speaking. (Maybe my indignations are mellowing.) Seriously, the alternate universe syndrome, the flow of one reality into the web of another fascinates me, and here Gire has done it well. His points are valid, especially the one concerning Whom we stand before when we pray.
I forget that often, in a false sense of familiarity with my God... I think I can speak to Him like a friend. And I can, but I must still keep in the front of my mind just how powerful and infinite this friend is. I forget.
Each one of us has something to be ashamed about... some place where we fail, something to be sorry for. It's when we start comparing those faults with other people's... and think we come up smelling better, that we fall into the worst of the seven deadly sins: pride. The Pharisee was caught in that web.
The piece that Gire leaves out, is that we have a duty to each other to welcome, embrace and forgive... to make sure that the kingdom is complete when it comes. The body of Christ needs to have all its fingers and toes, down to the last callus on his heel. I may be one of the calluses and I don't want to be left behind. The Pharisee forgot that part too.
I forget that often, in a false sense of familiarity with my God... I think I can speak to Him like a friend. And I can, but I must still keep in the front of my mind just how powerful and infinite this friend is. I forget.
Each one of us has something to be ashamed about... some place where we fail, something to be sorry for. It's when we start comparing those faults with other people's... and think we come up smelling better, that we fall into the worst of the seven deadly sins: pride. The Pharisee was caught in that web.
The piece that Gire leaves out, is that we have a duty to each other to welcome, embrace and forgive... to make sure that the kingdom is complete when it comes. The body of Christ needs to have all its fingers and toes, down to the last callus on his heel. I may be one of the calluses and I don't want to be left behind. The Pharisee forgot that part too.
posted by Claire Joy at
9:55 AM
3 Comments:
It's so funny to read this chapter and then read all the comments because we are talking about this in a series of messages at my church. The point is about how we live in relation to everyone else and how every time we make ourselves out to be better, we are, in fact, diminishing those around us.
I'm going to eventually blog all this when I get far enough into the book and my pastor gets far enough into the series but it is VERY interesting and I am seeing it in myself all OVER the place.
Me? Putting others down so I can shine? Nah.....
By
HeyJules, at 9:42 AM
"I forget that often, in a false sense of familiarity with my God... I think I can speak to Him like a friend. And I can, but I must still keep in the front of my mind just how powerful and infinite this friend is. I forget."
I'm right there with you CJ. It is wonderful that I can run to Him as my Friend but all to often I do forget just. exactly. Who. He. is! And then I feel like Isaiah.
I view community like the body...one can't function very well when one hand is missing or one knee etc. Oh yes, we may gimp along but not at the full capacity which the Lord would desire to use us. We are each important to another in building up, encouraging, edifying, prayer, assisting, etc. Thanks for the great reminder.
Jules, so often our put-downs come in the form of "humor" I think. When really we are just saying, "Well, I'm just glad I'M not like that/you."
By
Pilot Mom, at 10:22 AM
Yeah, there is NOTHING humorous about what I've been thinking/saying lately. Believe me. I am working with a new girl that is as sweet as can be who hasn't filed a lick of paper work in over five weeks. FIVE WEEKS. Don't think I'm not looking at our two baskets every single day and thinking "Geez...thank heavens I know how to do my job..."
Yeah, nothing funny about it. I've been just plain pedestalizing myself instead of taking her under my wing and letting her know its unacceptable. (Although its not my place because I am not her supervisor.)
By
HeyJules, at 11:28 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home