THE UPSIDE-DOWN KINGDOM
Opening Prayer
Lord God, thank you for showing me your truths held in Scripture. As I read today, help me to understand and apply them in new and deeper ways.
Read LUKE 18:9–17
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
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.”
The Little Children and Jesus
15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Who is the last person in the world you would expect to walk into your church and ask for prayer? How would you respond if they turned up this Sunday?Again, Luke leaves no doubt about what Jesus was saying. Many non-Christians in Western societies would see verse 9 as an accurate caricature of many churchgoers! So, we should listen carefully. The Pharisee approached a God he thought owed him something, and he wanted everyone to hear about that (vv. 11, 12). The tax collector hid his face as he sought forgiveness from the God who knew his weakness. The contrast could not be greater. Next it was the disciples who got it all wrong (v. 15) when they told off people who dared to annoy Jesus with their smelly, noisy children. They knew that he had bigger fish to fry.
Jesus was blunt in both instances. It was the tax collector who was justified and the children who were the exemplars. He turned everything on its head, and then gave it a good shake. Mark 10:13–16 tells the same story, but adds the final detail that Jesus picked up the children, held them, and blessed them. This kingdom is like no other. This King is like no other. The last shall be first, the weak made strong, and the poor become rich.
Apply
You have nowhere to hide and nothing to bring. And yet God loves you beyond measure. In what ways do those facts impact your prayer life?
Closing prayer
Father, if there are places where I see myself more highly than I should, show me, convict me, and draw me to repentance. Thank you that you are always eager to forgive me.
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