Give Me The Heart of the Tax Collector!

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "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.' "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  Where am I? I pray I have the heart of the tax collector.  
   So many times I am reminded that it is easy to be someone who looks "down" on others. Maybe it might be something someone does that is so obviously wrong that we criticize one another. We think and act like there is no way I would ever do something like that! Other times we might think we understand something that no one else gets. We scratch our heads and think, "Why can't they get this?" I believe this behavior of thinking we're better than someone else happens so often to those who claim they are Christians that many people are driven away from God due to feeling judged by others.
   I am ashamed to admit that I have not always been someone who prays actively. I have not always been someone who loves to read so much about Jesus and faith. I spoke to my close friend and mentor, Bill Lee the other day and we joyfully reminded each other of how we had gone from reading every business book we could get our hands on to reading books about God in our lives. I hope in writing this today that I do not come across like the Pharisee in this parable from Jesus. I so hope and pray I have the heart of the tax collector. I do not desire to compare myself favorably to anyone else. I don't speak of the joy I receive from reading scripture and books about faith to suggest I am better than anyone else. Oh my, no that is not the message of my heart! We're all sinners. Daily, I ask God to have mercy on me as a sinner. It may sound weak to others, but I often beg God to have mercy on me. Some times I am thankful that other people cannot read my mind or hear my thoughts. By the way, I believe God does know my thoughts. Yes, I do need His mercy every day.
   I share these stories because you may know me. You see my imperfections. Some of you have seen me share the message that because I studied business so passionately that I thought I was in control of my destiny. I love learning. I love hard work. I have not lost my passion for being competitive and for hard and hopefully smart work. I have learned in so many ways that I am so much less in control of my destiny than I ever realized. I saw that clearly that day in the emergency room when the ER doctor told me he thought I had experienced a heart attack. (It was not a heart attack, but it was a warning for me.) I have also learned that so much of what I believed was "mine" for as long as I lived and worked diligently has gone away with the new economy in America. We're still incredibly blessed with so much to be thankful for in our family and other aspects of our life.
   Sometimes in life you discover a truth that is so real, so powerful, so important that you feel compelled to share this truth with someone else...maybe anyone else who will read or listen. When I found faith and hope in God and actually felt His love and presence in my life, I felt like I was called to share this with others. I am humbled by His presence in my life. I don't believe I "deserve" the gift God gave me through Jesus and His death on the cross.  What I do believe is once I received this gift I had to share it with others. 

May the Lord be with you in your life...and may you remain forever humble, never judging others, but loving them as He taught us to love.  And Lord if it is your will, please do the same for me.  Amen.

Saying Thank You

  "Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." Luke 17:11-19

I love this story.  It is a story of 10 men who are suffering.  They are outcasts from the community.  They have a "right" to have little hope.  They ask Jesus for pity.  Jesus sends them to the priests and heals them as they went.  In those days, leprosy victims could not return home until the priests gave them permission.  As lepers, they could never be with their families again.  Once they were cleansed and healed, approved by the priests, they could have their lives back.  They could live with their families and their communities.

I do not enjoy knowing that any of us are outcasts or suffer from leprosy.  Many of us know people who are outcasts, sick and left alone or we have felt like outcasts.  Jesus is the story of God on earth.  He heals and gives us hope.  These men were healed and given a new life.  Through Jesus, we all can have a second chance.  We can turn to Him and no longer be outcasts - whether it be on this earth or in heaven - Jesus hears us and cleanses us.

The author Luke felt it was significant enough to point out that the lone man who returned to praise God and express his gratitude was a Samaritan.  A Samaritan was the outcast or enemy of the Jews.  Yet, this Samaritan returned, praised God and gave his thanks.  Who do we hold as enemies in our lives today?  Do we need to give our love to someone as Jesus gave His?  I believe we know the answer is yes.

Jesus told the returning man that "your faith has made you well."  I want to be the one who returns to express thanks.  I want to be the one whose faith makes me well.  I hope that we all can be like he.  Remember, even when life is not fair, we have the promise of eternity from our Lord and Savior. Keep your hope.  Keep your faith.  It isn't easy - I can't imagine how the lepers must have felt about their lives and their futures.

I ask today for Jesus, my Master to have pity on me - on all of us.  I ask that we will have faith in Him to receive his blessing.  When He cleanses us I pray that we will return to Him, praise Him and give him thanks!  Amen.