Am I a sinner or a saint? What about you?

This thought came to my mind this morning after reading this phrase in the bible. 

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The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18: 9-14

Different lives

Two people with different lifestyles, who can be easily judged by their outward appearances and by their deeds. One looks holy and does holy things, the other looks like a sinner and does sinful things. Which would we prefer? Or whom we could compare ourselves with? I didn’t want to be either of them, but…….. 

The difference: 

The holy one was boastful and judgmental. He thought that he was holy enough and did not need forgiveness. He trusted his holy works to save him. He was boastful. In addition, he looked down on those that were not doing holy things as he thought he did.

The tax collector was humble and had a repentant heart. He knows that he sinned against God and asked for mercy. To be forgiven. Couldn’t even look at God.

Lord, how about me?

I asked. How about you? I am asking. Are we like the Pharisees or the tax collector? Because, as much as we denied it, I think we can be both.

How, you might ask? 

Well, how do we feel for those who denied God’s existence, curse him, and blame him for all the troubles of this world? 

How do we feel for those people who commit adultery? Evildoers who abuse small children or exploit them? Those corrupt leaders who steal from the people. How about the murderers? Those who kill to gain power and so on. Liars and robbers?

Disgusted

To be totally honest, I am disgusted with those people. Questions like “ How could they do such a thing?” Judging them. But, I think that I am not alone who feels that way. How about you? Maybe we are like the Pharisee too? Looking down on those bad people in our eyes. Hating them the most. Disgusted. Maybe we want to make them suffer too in our minds or do some dramatic things to take revenge.

On the other hand, I feel like the tax collector too. A sinner. I say things that I should not be saying. Not being careful with my words is one of the things that I might be doing that is not right in the eyes of God. God sees my heart and knows what kind of sin I am capable of doing. Being judgmental like the Pharisee. God calls it to sin. Not only do I judge others, but I judge myself too. Feeling that I am not good enough. Maybe you feel the way I do? And that shouldn’t be. 

All sinners

 We can just admit that we too sin against God, not only once, but many times. Sins that do not show in our outward appearances. The sin that lurks in our minds and our hearts, just waiting for the right opportunity to strike? Maybe some stolen time from their employers? Doing facebooking, texting messages, or blogging when one is at work? How about driving faster than the law requires in some areas? How about laughing at someone’s handicaps? Saying white lies? Gossiping? Murmuring? Cursing? Lusting? If we do some of these things, we don’t have the right to judge. And if we are not doing some of these things, we don’t have the right to judge either. Am I right?

God said: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3

So who are we? A sinner or a saint? Probably, your wish is like mine. To be a saint. But…..