Humility or Humiliation

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I 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 everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14

I will never forget a lesson one of my spiritual mentors taught me a long time ago. It was an instruction on how I should conduct myself as I serve the Lord. It was a reminder to act like the tax collector in this parable and not the Pharisee. He said, “You can either humble yourself before the Lord or be humiliated by your sinful behavior.” I have found these words to be some of the wisest I have ever received.

A sport icon, Tiger Woods, is going through the most humiliating week of his life. In a statement released on his website Woods states, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family.”

As a man who desperately needs the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, I am not here to throw stones at Tiger Woods. However, I do believe that his transgressions can be a teachable moment.

One of my friends posted a comment on their Facebook page concerning Tiger Woods and his infidelity. It read: “I knew Tiger was arrogant, but I did not know he was stupid.”

Is Tiger arrogant? I must admit that most of the elite athletes I have met in my lifetime of being involved with sports are very prideful. You have to be confident to excel in your sport. The question is: Do you have to be arrogant?

I have never met Tiger personally, so I do not know firsthand whether or not he is arrogant. I can only draw conclusions from my observations of him on television and what I read about him in the press.

I believe anyone who does not recognize his or her need for redemption from the Lord Jesus Christ is an arrogant person. James 4:6, 10 says, “6God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Refusing to receive the grace of Jesus Christ by repenting for your sins and putting faith in Him to change your sinful nature is the ultimate act of pride. Our pride always leads to our destruction. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

I can’t help but think how life today would be different for Tiger, and so many others, if they would just humble themselves and admit they need the blood of Jesus to cleanse them from their sins. If Tiger would have done this, he could have avoided hurting the ones he claims to love more than anything else.

Tiger’s transgressions are a reminder that, even with the best of intentions, we cannot manage our sinful nature. Sooner or later we will succumb to temptation. We need to humble ourselves, and submit our lives to the only One who can redeem us by washing away our sins. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can either humble yourself before the Lord or be humiliated by your own sinful behavior. If Tiger would have chosen the former, he could have avoided the most embarrassing and painful moment of his life. My prayer for Tiger is that he would humble himself and become a recipient of God’s grace.

Have you humbled yourself before the Lord by recognizing your need for redemption?