King of the Poor: Humility

Sunday we continued our series on Jesus, King of the Poor. Jesus descended from heaven as an act of God’s mercy, his compassion. Mercy is fundamental to the character of God and it motivates his acts of kindness, including his patience with the sin of mankind.

This Sunday we’ll consider God’s response to the pride of man. Jesus tells a story of a Pharisee and a tax collector who both go to the temple and pray. One man knows that he’s a sinner in need of God’s mercy, the other thinks he’s righteous. Each man prays but only one asks for mercy, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Jesus surprises his audience by saying that this man went home justified. 

What’s surprising is what he says next, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” This should astonish us! Politicians, corporations, and the like, honor the humble for photo ops, but God does it because he hates pride. Jesus exalts the poor, the lowly, the outcast, and he delights to do so because he hates pride.

So, come Sunday, and worship the King of the poor.