Call to Worship – Luke 18:9-14

The Call to Worship is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, verses 9 to 14:

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. ¹² I 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 all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

Sharing Our Thoughts on Life and Faith

Everyone has moments and experiences where their achievements are recognized, and they feel a sense of personal pride.

In our ongoing study of proverbs in the Book of Proverbs under the theme, “Wisdom for the Ages and Today”, we are going to look at the role that pride plays in each of our lives.

In order to get you thinking along with me about this issue, I want to ask you this question:

What are you proud of?

Today’s Message

“Pride and Prejudice”

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The title of today’s message tells us something about pride and how it can impact our lives and the lives of the people around us in both positive and negative ways.

When I asked you the question, “What are you proud of?”  I assumed you would answer that question with positive examples of the good things you have experienced and accomplished in your lives.  If you were suspicious of where those answers might lead, you probably thought of examples of pride that are not particularly honourable.

Let me suggest at the outset that this issue of pride can reflect the very best in us and the very worst in us – sometimes and the very same time.  If we have learned anything in our exploration of wisdom for the ages and today, it is that life can be quite complicated.

Last week we looked at the issue of fear.  None of us wants to live in fear and we all want to know how to overcome our fears.  But at the very same time, fear protects us from certain dangers and challenges us to find important solutions for life’s problems.  Furthermore, the writer of Proverbs tells us: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.  So, we would be UNwise to live without the constraints that fear correctly places upon us.

Pride does the same thing.  It plays an important role in encouraging people to do good while it also can be the source of bad and ugly attitudes and behaviours that we should avoid.

So, let’s get at it.

1. The good role that pride plays

The apostle Paul writes to followers of Jesus in Galatia:

Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves, without comparing themselves to someone else.                                             (Galatians 6:4 NIV)

The Message translation of this passage explains this further:

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.         (Galatians 6:4-5 The Message)

Picture this young boy with two medals that he has won.  We don’t know if they were won in an athletic competition, or an academic pursuit, or for dedication to a cause, or simply for his participation.

What we do know, consistent with Paul’s message to followers of Jesus in Galatia is that he applied his energy and talents to an important task and could be proud of what he did.  Furthermore, he didn’t need be impressed with himself of compare himself with others.  He took responsibility for doing the best he could in life.

That’s the good role that pride can play in any of our lives.

We are challenged to do the best we can in any and every endeavour without comparing ourselves with others and without being overly impressed with ourselves.

Similarly, Paul writes to followers of Jesus in Rome:

¹³ I am speaking now to you Gentiles:  As long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I will take pride in my work.  ¹⁴ Perhaps I can make the people of my own race want what you have received, and so be able to save some of them.  (Romans 11:13-14 Good News Bible)

Paul identified himself as an apostle to the Gentiles.  In this letter to followers of Jesus in Rome, he is writing to Gentiles, and he is proud, not only of is calling from God, but also of the success of that work in leading them to faith in Jesus the Messiah.

And now, as another example of the good role that pride plays in life:

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:4-6)

Note two things here.  The response of Peter to Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain in the presence of Moses and Elijah was to want to recognize and honour Jesus by building a temple of memorial in that place.  The voice from the cloud was God’s voice affirming that he was well pleased with his Son, Jesus.  If it is right and God for God to be “well pleased”  (proud) of his Son, surely it is right and good for us to be “well pleased”  (proud) of others and of ourselves when we accomplish the work we have been given to do.

2. The bad role (sin of) that pride plays

The writer of the Book of Proverbs has a lot to say about the dangers of pride and how pride can play a sinful role in life.

Arrogance and pride – distinguishing marks in the wicked – are just plain sin.  (Proverbs 21:4 The Message)

The problem with pride in its bad – or sinful – role that it plays is found in the attitude that often accompanies pride: arrogance.

Pride is sinful when it assumes the success in one’s achievements leading to the honours that a person feels is due them is the result of their talents, abilities, and dedication.  It’s the attitude that assumes their achievements are determined by their personal superiority – they are simply better than everyone else.

Compare the arrogance of pride to the humility of pride.  The arrogantly proud point to what they have achieved as a result of their personal abilities and dedication – it’s all about “ME”.  “I worked hard . . . I made sacrifices . . . I set goals . . . etc.  The arrogant attitude is usually unattractive and diminishes the actual achievement in the minds of others.  The humbly proud points to others who enabled them to achieve such success – it’s all about “OTHERS”.  “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates / my parents / my teachers / my friends / without God.”  The humble attitude doesn’t diminish the actual achievement but recognizes that the success was the result of a combined effort without which that success would not have been possible.

I think you would all agree that the humble attitude of pride is far more attractive and appealing than the arrogant boasting of self-sufficient pride.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 NIV)

First pride, then the crash — the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. (Proverbs 16:18 The Message)

This is probably the best-known proverb on the issue of pride.  When we witness arrogance and pride, there is an almost welcome expectation that sooner or later the proud person will get their come-uppance.  There will come a crash that they deserve and where will their boasting be then.

Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.    (Proverbs 29:23 The Message)

Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors. (Proverbs 29:23 The Message)

The irony in this is that the person who exhibits humility in success will be given honour even when he or she meets with failure.  When the crash comes, people will be cheering them on to be successful again.

You all know countless examples of success and failure accompanied by pride and humility.

But you will notice that the title of my message is tied to something we usually do not associate with pride: prejudice

This kind of pride is tied to identity rather than achievement and I would suggest that it is the ugly role that pride plays.

There are a number of social ills that have garnered attention during this Covid-19 pandemic.  During times of widespread threats like war, economic recession, worldwide pandemic, and natural disasters that everyone experiences together, persistent issues that have existed for a long time begin to get noticed.

We are living in such a time as this.

Pride of Identity: who we ARE determines what we DO

It’s quite revealing in times of crisis what issues are brought to the surface in protests and campaigns to solve the long-standing grievances of various groups.  Think, for a moment, about what is most important for the people who identify as one of the following:

• a proud Canadian / American / Scot / Irish

A national identity (comment of implications)

• A proud scholar / professional / tradesman / unionist / manager

A career or occupational identity (comment on implications)

• A proud Presbyterian / Catholic / Christian / Muslim / Jew

A religious identity (comment on implications)

• A proud Black / Asian / First Nation / White

A racial identity (comment on implications) 

• A proud Senior / Teen / Parent / Child

A generational identity (comment on implications)

• A proud Male/ Female / Straight / Gay / Married / Single

A sexual identity (comment on implications)

How does pride in any of these identities play an ugly role in life?  While there are many differences, pride plays a similar role in what we do as determined by who we are.  I’m going to address one of these issues as a common example of them all: systemic racism and how pride has and continues to play an ugly role in life.

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.       (Proverbs 13:10 NIV)

Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel. (Proverbs 13:10 The Message)

I grew up in Cornwall, Ontario in the 50’s.  Cornwall was about equally divided among French-speaking and English-speaking white people.  I knew one Asian family who lived in my neighbourhood and ran the local Chinese restaurant.  As far as I know, there were no black families and all first-nations people lived on the Akwesasne reserve.  The identity politics of the day focussed on the English-French language divide.  The English population lived mainly in the west end and the French people lived in the east end.  For the most part, there was a cooperative, co-existence but people tended to stick to their own.  I did not know or have a French-speaking person among any of my friends.

I didn’t see the need to develop any of those relationships, much less listen to or understand their concerns.

This wasn’t considered systemic racism.  It’s just the way it was: little or no cross-cultural conversation or understanding.

The world I lived in, and I suspect most of you lived in back in the 50’s, identified with your own group and as long as your personal needs were taken care of, a peaceful co-existence prevailed most of the time.

Today is much different.  In the sixties, Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase, global village, to describe the increasing interconnectedness of our lives as a result of television, modern media, and immigration.  Cultural and identity issues began to emerge and points of agreement and disagreement; understanding and misunderstanding.  Depending on where you lived then and where you live now, there was a dominant culture and a minority culture, each concerned defend of advance their own identities.

Two factors influenced what happened: pride of place and identity along with fear of being displaced by changes to the commonly held beliefs, customs, economy, and opportunity.

It is the pride of place and identity that is at the heart of systemic racism wherever it is found.  Systemic racism is not just a black and white issue directed towards the country to the south of us.  It is a first-nation and white issue here in Canada that led to residential schools and the perceived need to assimilate the minority into the majority instead of understanding each other.

If you think this is new or unique to our day and place, consider the wisdom for the ages and today that we find in the Book of Proverbs:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2 NIV)

The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm. (Proverbs 11:2 The Message)

Pride, in all of its various forms of self-identification, is a long-standing, persistent, and increasingly divisive source of distrust, conflict, and competing interests.

If you think this is new or unique to our day and place, remember Jesus’ parable that I read as the Call to Worship at the beginning of our service of worship.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector’

We read this story about two men going up to the temple to pray.

But the background to the story is: Who are these two men, and why is there such distain on the part of the Pharisee towards the tax collector?

The Pharisee is a prominent and influential Jew in the temple.  He is proud of his office and the work he does.  The tax collector is likely a Gentile (a non-Jew).  If he is actually a Jew, then he is a traitor to the cause as he is working for the Romans. The answer for our day, as it has been the answer for the ages, is the need to humbly listen and look out for the needs of all people.

Pride in one’s achievements and work is a good think if it is accompanied by an humble understanding and recognition of others.  If it is accompanied by an attitude of arrogance and comparison with others, it is sin that causes untold grief and conflict.

In John’s first letter to the early church, he wrote:

For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:15 NIV)

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world - wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important - has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.

The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. (1 John 2:14-17 The Message)

Prayer of Response

Let’s pray:

Closing Hymn – “We Are One in the Spirit” - #471

Ruth and I are going to lead our closing hymn.  Please sing along.

 Benediction

 – 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Choral Blessing

Go now in peace. Never be afraid.

God will go with you each hour of every day.

Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true.

Know He will guide you in all you do.

Go now in love, and show you believe.

Reach out to others so all the world can see.

God will be there watching from above.

Go now in peace, in faith and in love.