Thought of the Day !!

       To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The 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. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

    "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.'

    "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 (NIV)

Do you remember those teen movies or TV shows where the kid with glasses and older clothes, having a low self-esteem comes into the cafeteria?  The kid goes to put his/her tray down at a table and is told right off that he/she is at the wrong table and directed to the table where other kids like him/her are at.

Kids can be so mean, can't they?  They can form groups and proclaim that they're better than the other groups.  But then again, can it not be the same with adults? 

I've heard of denominations that believe people, even Christians, are going to hell if they don't join their denomination.  I've seen people, who go to church on Sunday, look down on people at work because of their position, color or level of education.  I've had bosses (before going into the ministry) that treated me like an object instead of a human being.  And I've read in my bible about a religious man who prayed to God and said "Thank you Lord that I'm not as bad as that person over there that is far beneath me." 

Have you ever been looked down on by someone?  How did it feel?  Do you think you've ever looked down on somebody else and thought about how they weren't as good as you?  How do you think God felt?

In the love of Christ,
greg