LAY DOWN YOUR CROWN

83/365

Luke 18:11,13 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Jesus was being modest when he said to men went to the temple to pray for after reading the text, it becomes apparent that “two men want to the temple – one went to boast and the other went to pray”

While the tac collector reached to draw into the fountain of God’s mercy, the Pharisee stands before before God, ‘sings his own praises, and applauds his own doings’. One might wander what the intentions behind these actions were: was it to inform the Almighty God that he was doing well by himself or did he see the Tax collector as no where near his status?

Both men had high ranks in their respective fields, safe to say they would have crowns on their heads if they were royalty. But in standing before the King of Kings, one lay down his crown while the other basked in his pride.

Beloved, we have indeed been made priests and kings unto our God, but before this same God, we should readily lay aside our crowns.

#sly