JESUS TELLS the poignant parable of a self-righteous Pharisee and a self-professed sinner, both standing in prayer at the temple. The proud Pharisee “stood by himself and prayed: ‘God I thank you that I am not like other people’” (Luke 18:11), and goes on with his own list of the sinners and sins that ‘he is not like.’ His prayer ends with, “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (Luke 18:12) Some distance away from him was a tax collector, considered a parasite and a pariah due to his employment by the oppressive Roman governance, and reviled by all, Jews and Roman occupiers alike. “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.’” (Luke 18:13) Jesus praises the humility of the latter man. “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.” (Luke 18:14a) He then reveals the point of the story. “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14b) We understand both men well, for most of us have been somehow like both of them at various points in life.
James, the brother of the Lord and the pastor of the Jerusalem church, offers similar biblical principles. In respect to self-righteousness, he says, “Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” (James 4:11) He strips away any veracity to self-important claims. “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12) There is a harsh antidote for pride. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18) And again, from the proverbs, we understand that “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” (Prov. 16:5)
The journey through the destruction of pride to the destination of humility can be short and violent, long and painful, or in any number of ways difficult. God designs each path towards him as he sees fit; our part is to walk the path. The dictionary definition of humility is *“freedom from pride or arrogance.” In the secular sense, this is accompanied by a low sense of self-regard and a sense of unworthiness. The theological definition does not dissuade us from an authentic biblical sense of self-regard, but expresses this quality of humility as **“a recognition of self in relation to God accompanied by submission to God.” It is the latter that we see at work in the tax collector. And it fits with James’ observation: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10)
Pride is met with the resistance of God, and oftentimes includes discipline, even punishment. But humility is met with the grace of God, which includes his mercy. His grace is prevenient, freely given, extended even before the infraction that proceeds from the inherent sin nature. His grace is offered in the form of mercy, defined as
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