with Bob Condly

Don’t Give Thanks!

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Do you teach your kids not to complain? Do you recall your parents instructing you to count your blessings?

That’s what Thanksgiving is all about; it’s in the name!

Maybe your family has everyone at the table take turns describing what he or she is grateful for. It does your heart good to remember all the provisions you’ve received. And it’s biblical.

Psalm 103:2-5 – “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits–who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

So what do you thank God for? Forgiveness, healing, deliverance, provision? Quite a list!

But sometimes it’s best not to be thankful. Really! Listen to Jesus tell a story.

Luke 18:10-14 – “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Pharisees were the religious leaders of Israel during the time of Christ. They’re the rabbis and pastors of their day.

They knew the Scriptures backwards and forwards and concocted all kinds of rules and guideline to prevent people from breaking God’s Law. At least that’s what they thought.

Nice list this Pharisee had. He was no sinner; in fact, he was better than everyone else. No one could accuse him of cheating, sinning, or committing adultery.

Not only did this leader avoid evil, he put his heart into living right. He fasted and gave away a tenth of his own money. And we know that he prayed; after all, he’s talking to God. What a role model!

This Pharisee has a lot to be thankful for, doesn’t he? And to top it all off, he remembers to thank God for his virtuous life, although I’m not sure why. If he’s doing all the work, what’s left for the Lord to accomplish?

But there’s another character, a tax collector. The Roman government contracted the job of collecting taxes to locals. They had to meet certain financial goals for Rome but these hired guns could keep anything they got over the minimum. So imagine how the people felt about a fellow Jew who took more money than was required, gave much of it to a pagan government, and then pocketed the rest for himself. They hated him!

For a while he didn’t care. Money buys friends, so he had enough people trying to cozy up to him, but they were motivated only by what they could get from him. The tax collector realized no one loved him, and at some point, he stopped lying to himself. He began to believe they were right about him – he was bad and he was in trouble with God.

Now what? He dared to meet the Lord. By going to the Temple, he was trying to fix things. He resolved to give God whatever He wanted.

Remembering the prayers he learned as a child, the man attempted to voice them but only silence emerged. Glancing at the Pharisee, admired and respected by all, this legally-sanctioned swindler knew he fell short of God’s will. Accustomed to satisfying Rome’s financial demands, he had no chance of meeting God’s.

Did he overhear the prayer of the Pharisee? Every good deed, every little act of righteousness must have depressed this sinner. Compared to this religious leader, he was nothing and he knew it.

Then the tax collector thought of all those neighbors who’d asked him for a break on their bill or extra time to make a payment. He’d heard several cries for mercy; how many had he accepted? Now it was his turn to ask!

Right to the point, he prayed few words. Mercy, dear Lord!

Hearing no response, he left the Temple. In his heart, it was enough to ask. His fate was in God’s hands.

Jesus declared him righteous. The Pharisee, the one who did all the right things, missed the boat. Why?

Both men needed God’s grace, but only one recognized it. Christ conferred on the tax collector the gift of righteousness not because he was good but because God was.

So give thanks! Take advantage of the holiday called Thanksgiving to tell the Lord why’re you’re grateful. Just don’t thank Him for your pride!

with Bob Condly

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