Don’t Ever Put It Down
I’ll often judge people on the things I do not see
Reference: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: (Luke 18:9 NIV)
Explore: Often when I read the Bible I have to be mindful of the time that it was written. There were different cultural norms back then that are written into the scriptures.
It’s like when you text a friend. There is assumed knowledge you both have. Whereas if someone else was to read the message they may not understand all its intricacies because they don’t understand all the details.
Not so with today’s passage!
Application: The writer of Luke starts this passage by convicting anyone who has thought themselves better than someone else (I’d predict that is everyone!) He sets Jesus’ parable up referring to some other people, but never have words been more challenging to my faults.
I’ll often judge people on the things I do not see and make myself feel better by bringing them down in my mind. In this passage I fit squarely in the Pharisee box.
And yet, there is no doubt that Jesus admires the Tax Collector more.
You are not just encouraged to read the Bible because it’s a good discipline, it’s because it will speak into your life more than any other book you commit to reading. Don’t ever put it down.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your Word. May I rededicate myself to allowing time for it to change my life to be more like You. Amen.
How would you rate your Bible reading time?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.