Highly Esteemed Abomination

And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."  Luke 16:15

The Pharisees saw themselves as the holiest among God's holy people. Jesus wasn't quite so impressed with themselves as the Pharisees were. Let us pray to the Lord that we do not find ourselves in the Pharisee's position in this age. Yes, we read the Word of God and we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but do we take that as a high position to look down upon our fellow humans? Do we come up with clever names that in another age would resemble the Pharisee's terms for the Gentile peoples? The contrite of heart position is of course the better one to take in our relationship with our Lord. 

It is interesting that I find the temptation to justify myself before men in my heart along with the knowledge that I cannot justify myself before God. And so I get to fail at the one and be unable to do the other. Worse would be to succeed at the first through a pile of loot, accomplishments in the world, and fame, and then to present to God by way of justification my great steaming pile of highly esteemed abominations. Many a successful sinner by the measure of the world will try just that in the final judgment. We know in Christ that only through His justification can we be made righteous in the sight of God. No reason to look down on my fellow humans, no matter their state of belief, when I too was as Paul said, "and such were some of you." (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Praise the Lord God for His grace and mercy on us all! 

Bucky