There is a big difference between works and grace. The difference is life-changing. But, it’s easy to miss. Fortunately, Jesus tells a parable of a tax collector and Pharisee, which brings the issue starkly into the light.
It’s the sideways glace that gets us into trouble. It’s a look in the wrong direction. Jesus tells a story about a Pharisee who has one eye on heaven and his other eye on a tax collector. As a result he despises the Pharisee and tells God that he is thankful he is not like that obvious sinner. Jesus tells this story because as we grow closer to God a temptation to a big ego grows bigger and bigger. How do we fight this tendency?
Sermon preached at Gold Canyon United Methodist Church in Gold Canyon, Arizona on October 18, 2015 by Rev. Fred Steinberg
