One Morning At Church
Two men went to church one Sunday. One had been a long-time member of the church and was very active in the community. He had long held the respect of the people in the church, and everyone often turned to him for advice. In fact, not much happened in the church until he was asked, and usually his ideas were the ones that were enacted. As he began walking up the slight incline to the church building, the one his family had helped build, he turned around to view the beautiful day. That's when he saw...him.
The other man who went to church that day was not well liked in town and had never been in the doors of this particular church. He had tried a couple of others, only to receive cold stony silence from the members. But he had heard that this church was different, that they welcomed everyone. So that morning, he worked up his courage and drove his car to the little church just outside of town. He opened his door, looked at his rather shabby clothes, and sighed. Maybe he should just get back in his car and turn around. But, no, he had come this far. He could at least sit through the service. So he got out of his car and began walking toward the church. As he turned the corner toward the front door, he saw...him.
The two had previous business dealings and they had not gone well. They didn't even know each other's first names, but every time they saw each other there were these feelings—sort of a combination of nausea and anger—that rose up within each one of them.
The church member stared for a moment, then began to pray, as he often did, out loud. "God, I thank you for this beautiful day," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You are a good, gracious God, and you have given us so many blessings. Most of all, Great Lord, I thank you that I am not like other people, that you have saved me from being a thief, an adulterer or an evildoer. You have given me the strength to fast twice a week, and Lord, you know that my tithe—the full ten percent—is here in my Bible, ready to be put in the offering plate. Thank you that I'm not like this other man here, a no-good scoundrel. Amen." And with that, he turned and walked into the church, never looking back.
The other man, the visitor, stood there for a moment, then he, too, bowed his head, and prayed a prayer that no one else heard. "God, I don't know much about you, and I know I've not been a good man, but I want to know you and I want to be better. Have mercy on me, God, for I'm a sinner and I'm told you're a friend of sinners." And with that, he got back in his car and went home.
Did I say no one heard his prayer? Well, no other human heard his prayer. But One Person did. And, I tell you, Jesus said, there was only one man who went home made right that day. Only one drew closer to God that day, because only one knew he needed to. (See the original parable in Luke 18:9-14.)
Craig Groeschel, in his book It, tells of being a young pastor, standing outside the church with one of his elders one Sunday when a visitor pulled into the parking lot. A real, live visitor. They didn't get many of those at that church, and it soon became obvious why. When the woman stepped out of her car, she was dressed in what was probably her best, but the clothing was shabby and stained. And as Groeschel stood there, the elder said to the woman, "Young lady, I don't know what you're used to, but we wear our best for God around here." And without another word, the woman got back in the car and drove away while Groeschel says he was so shocked he couldn't even speak.
Jesus says, "All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:14).
And John Wesley asks us: Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
The other man who went to church that day was not well liked in town and had never been in the doors of this particular church. He had tried a couple of others, only to receive cold stony silence from the members. But he had heard that this church was different, that they welcomed everyone. So that morning, he worked up his courage and drove his car to the little church just outside of town. He opened his door, looked at his rather shabby clothes, and sighed. Maybe he should just get back in his car and turn around. But, no, he had come this far. He could at least sit through the service. So he got out of his car and began walking toward the church. As he turned the corner toward the front door, he saw...him.
The two had previous business dealings and they had not gone well. They didn't even know each other's first names, but every time they saw each other there were these feelings—sort of a combination of nausea and anger—that rose up within each one of them.
The church member stared for a moment, then began to pray, as he often did, out loud. "God, I thank you for this beautiful day," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You are a good, gracious God, and you have given us so many blessings. Most of all, Great Lord, I thank you that I am not like other people, that you have saved me from being a thief, an adulterer or an evildoer. You have given me the strength to fast twice a week, and Lord, you know that my tithe—the full ten percent—is here in my Bible, ready to be put in the offering plate. Thank you that I'm not like this other man here, a no-good scoundrel. Amen." And with that, he turned and walked into the church, never looking back.
The other man, the visitor, stood there for a moment, then he, too, bowed his head, and prayed a prayer that no one else heard. "God, I don't know much about you, and I know I've not been a good man, but I want to know you and I want to be better. Have mercy on me, God, for I'm a sinner and I'm told you're a friend of sinners." And with that, he got back in his car and went home.
Did I say no one heard his prayer? Well, no other human heard his prayer. But One Person did. And, I tell you, Jesus said, there was only one man who went home made right that day. Only one drew closer to God that day, because only one knew he needed to. (See the original parable in Luke 18:9-14.)
Craig Groeschel, in his book It, tells of being a young pastor, standing outside the church with one of his elders one Sunday when a visitor pulled into the parking lot. A real, live visitor. They didn't get many of those at that church, and it soon became obvious why. When the woman stepped out of her car, she was dressed in what was probably her best, but the clothing was shabby and stained. And as Groeschel stood there, the elder said to the woman, "Young lady, I don't know what you're used to, but we wear our best for God around here." And without another word, the woman got back in the car and drove away while Groeschel says he was so shocked he couldn't even speak.
Jesus says, "All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:14).
And John Wesley asks us: Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
Well, do we?
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