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In “The Lost Button,” a story in the children's book, Frog and Toad Are Friends, by Arnold Lobel, Toad lost a button and Frog promised to help him find it. They retraced the steps of a walk they had been taking, searching everywhere, and everywhere they found buttons, but they were all the wrong size or shape or color. Toad got very upset, ran home, and slammed the door. And there on the floor was his lost button! “What a lot of trouble I have made for Frog,” Toad said, surprised and humbled. Then he took all the buttons they had found and sewed Frog a special jacket as an apology and sign of their friendship.
Those who heard Jesus' parable in today's reading also experienced a humbling surprise. The story didn't go at all like they thought it would. He described two men who went to the temple. One was a Pharisee, among the religious elite of the day; one was a tax collector, a despised Roman collaborator who had probably abused his position for personal gain. Both prayed. And the one who went home “justified before God” (v. 14) was . . . the tax collector? What? How did that happen?
Jesus told this parable with a specific audience in mind, to “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else” (v. 9). In His story, the Pharisee's prayer was a self-serving proclamation of his own virtue and good works, an attempt to show off to God (vv. 11-12).
The tax collector's prayer, by contrast,
was a plea for God's mercy (v. 13). His
humility before the Lord and remorse
over sin were also clearly demonstrated
in his body language. Just as in the case
of Isaiah, truly seeking and encountering
God led to humility and a strong sense of
the sin in his life. That's why God heard
the prayer of the humble and repentant
man, but not that of the proud and selfrighteous
one.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Given the devotionals so far this month, now might be a good time to evaluate your attitude toward God. Do you approach Him in a spirit of reverence, awe, and humility? Though He is pleased to call us “friends” (James 2:23), it is not a friendship between equals and should not be approached carelessly or presumptuously. If you find yourself lacking in this area, here's an idea: Read or pray through several psalms. This is an excellent way to keep your heart in tune with the reality of who God is.
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