The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[a]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ Luke 18:11-12 (NLT)
We often look down on Pharisees. We are critical of their way of thinking and how they rejected Jesus and his way of thinking. Take this one, for example.
He is praying. He points out to God all the good things he does. He fasts, he gives money to God. He's doing good things. Then, to make sure it's clear where he stands in his own righteousness, he compares himself to others. He doesn't pick other Pharisees (after all, they may be doing the same good things he's doing). He chooses the lowest of the low. He singles out the tax collector, the cheaters, adulterers and any other sinner that pops into mind.
Now, how do we fit in here? Have you ever said "Well, I am not as bad as......" or "I'm not that bad, I don't ......" Have you ever listed the good things you do to check off the boxes?
Now, I am going to ask you the same question as I did yesterday. Could you be a Pharisee?
The only person we should be looking at and comparing ourselves to is Jesus.