Humility and Conceit

Luke 18: 9-14 tells the story of two men. One, a Pharisee, comes into the temple self righteously thanking God that he is a good obedient man, who is much better than other men, especially the tax collector who is also praying there that day. The tax collector prostrates himself before God and pleads for mercy because he knows he is a sinner. Jesus says that it is the tax collector who will go home in a right relationship with God.

This story raises a number of important questions for me. What is the difference between conceit and self respect? What is the difference between humility and self disrespect? What does it mean to be a sinner? Does Jesus expect us to be extremely self critical and negative about ourselves?

What I believe Jesus does want us to be, is honest with ourselves. It is easy for us to say that the self righteous Pharisee is deluded about himself because we are uncomfortable with people we say, “love themselves”. I have known many Christians who believed it is wrong to love themselves. But isn’t that what Jesus told us to do in his love commandment; love God and your neighbour as you love yourself.

This Pharisee is wrong because his comparisons are conceited. In relation to God he says he isn’t too bad and in comparison to the tax collector he is really very good. Conceit is an inaccurate expression of self value. Self love is something different altogether.

The tax collector on the other hand recognises that compared to God he can do nothing but prostrate himself. God is perfection, the ultimate, the unattainable, the final measure of righteousness. Who can stand with confidence before God? The tax collector makes no attempt to approach God, but simple asks for mercy and acceptance. If you think about it, you will understand that he has got the relationship about right. We all come to God like him, even the Pharisee.

Jesus recommends humility over conceit. The tax collector expresses humility, not because he puts himself down, but because he has an accurate self perception. I’m sure it is not a dictionary definition, but I like to see humility as just that, an accurate self perception, and that is why it is so difficult. Humility is not putting myself down or building myself up, but with proper respect (love) for the other, being honest about who I am. Anything else is dishonest hypocrisy. In this case the tax collector sees things as they are and is honest with God. God who is also perfectly gracious, accepting and forgiving, embraces him with love and sends him home reassured. As for the Pharisee, he only has his own self congratulation, which is not very much at all.

Adrian