Day 23 | Tuesday – Here’s Your Punchline

Listen instead of reading

Don’t forget a Night of Prayer & Worship tomorrow at 6:30 pm.

Read The Daily

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: (Luke 18:9)

Jesus is the greatest preacher of all time. He told stories and preached sermons the whole world needs to hear. The genius of Jesus is that he often preached one message with two punchlines: If you were confident of your own righteousness, you got law, but if you were not, you got grace.  Consider Jesus’ story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). Both men went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. His prayer was a résumé. He thanked God that he was not like other men and bragged about his fasting and tithing.

But the tax collector stood at a distance and prayed just seven words. “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus ends the story with a bombshell. “The tax collector went home justified before God.” How do you read the words of Jesus? How does the parable make you feel? Does it fill you with joy or resentment?

Your response to the story is your response to the gospel. If you identify with the sinful tax collector, then this story is good news. Really? He went home justified? That’s the scandal of grace right there. God justifies sinners (Rom 4:5). Search the parable for evidence of the tax collector’s good works or merit, and you’ll find nothing. Grace is for the undeserving. It’s for those without résumés.  But if you are confident of your righteousness, this story is not good news at all. “Wait a second. I fast. I tithe. I am better than other people. Jesus, what are you saying?”Jesus doesn’t mince his words. “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 18:14). That’s a hard word for a hard heart. It’s a word that condemns the self-righteous and silences the boastful. It’s a word of law for those who don’t see their need for grace. Jesus is brilliant at giving each of us exactly what we need.

Reflect and Journal: What has the been the hardest part and the most beneficial part of this journey? Is fasting something you would do again? Think through if there’s something else you would fast from in the future.

Prayer: Pray to God about His will and plan for your life. Take a moment to pray and ask Him to guide you in His grace.  

Read Through The Bible With Us This Year!

4 x 6 Plan | Read: John 12:37-50 & 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28