the tax collector.

my awesome friend bailey gave me a bible read through list, quite a while ago, from New Cov.. as a guide to read through the whole Bible. i havent been as regular with it as i had planned to be, but i am working on it none the less. today i read a passage from Luke chapter 18, 9-14. a parable. a parable Jesus told to "people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt" have you ever read a passage and went ahead and just photoshopped your own name into the story? no i dont mean in an exalting way, i mean in a jesus is giving us a heads up about this and that means you too Julie, no exceptions. anyway, i read it over a couple of times and was blown away. the pharisee is counting off the things that make him great, and saying yeah im so glad im not like that guy over there even, the tax collector. (whom was in the same temple too) the tax collector couldnt even look up to heaven, but was asking God to be merciful to him, 'the sinner!' 

sometimes its too easy to count the good things we do, and live in an imaginary world about the ways we dont measure up. as if we are going to be able to do anything to deserve the grace that God gives us anyway. we must be kidding ourselves. 

the honesty of the tax collector in that parable is just so beautiful. God knows our hearts anyway right? theres no need to lie to ourselves about it. 

"for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted"