Luke 18 - First Responder Edition
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 9:01AM 
By: Clarke T. Cayton
Luke 18:9-14 (New International Version)
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone 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 by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—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 all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 (The Message)
He (Jesus) told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: "Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.'
"Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'"
Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."
Luke 18:9-14 (First Responder Edition)
One day, Jesus was talking with some local First Responders and noticed that a few of them kept talking trash about a particular neighborhood in town, commenting how sleezy the people there were. He inturrupted their smug chuckling and said: "Suppose two men went to Church on Sunday, one - a First Responder like you, and the other a dirt-bag who lives in this neighborhood. The First Responder sits up front with his nice family during the service and prays to God, 'Father, thank you that I am not like that mope at the back of the room. I recognize him, last I saw he was strung out. And that whore daughter of his, no wonder she turned out like she did. I thank you that that's not my neighborhood, filled with scum-bags and druggies! I am so proud that I have a good family and live in a clean neighborhood; and to thank you, here is my tithe.'
"But the guy from the sleezy neighborhood just sat in the corner, with his head down. No one talked to him or greeted him. He just sat there and quietly uttered a short prayer, 'God, I am such a failure. My wife has left me. My daughter's pregnant. I am at my wits end. Can you ever forgive me for this mess I've made?'"
Jesus finished, "Let's be clear. It was the dirt-bag who went home - back to his slezzy neighborhood - righteous in God's eyes... Sometimes you see yourselves as First Responders being better than parts of the community you serve. You talk down to them. You belittle them. Sometimes you even treat them like they are sub-human. Be careful with your attitudes and actions! For it is not unlike my Father to humble the proud."
Reader Comments (2)
I look forward to reading more of your blog.