"I like this guy"

Luke 18:9-14 recounts the story of a pharisee and a tax collector praying in the temple. I'll let you read it for yourself - while I will level my keypad and thoughts at telling you why I like the pharisee.

"Whoa," you may say, "this guy is clearly in the wrong - you cannot be serious." The fact of the matter is this, as a pastor I love that this guy fasts twice a week, gives tithes on everything (picture getting a birthday card with $20 and tithing 10% back to the church), and is aware that he is set apart from others. I like this guy.

So, what makes my "like" of this guy conditional? It's simple, he opened his mouth. Matthew 12:34 Jesus aims his criticism at the pharisees when he says, "You brood of vipers! How can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Once this pharisee (in Luke 18) opened his mouth it was apparent to everyone where his heart was.

I encourage you today, understand and embrace the humility of the tax collector who opened his mouth and said, "be merciful to me, a sinner." Is fasting twice a week wrong, no. Is tithing on EVERYTHING wrong, no. Together lets beg God to show us piety for the sake of God not the sake of man.