This is a story of two men who went to the temple to pray. The first man was a priest. He stood up and prayed to himself, saying: “God, I thank you that I’m not like the others—thieves, wrongdoers, or even like this man here. I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of all that I have.”
The second man, on the other hand, stood far away, unwilling even to lift his eyes to heaven. He beat his chest and said: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Cf. Luke 18:9-14)
So, who represents the light, and who represents the darkness?
At first glance, we might think the priest is the one in the light. After all, he’s doing all the right things—praying, fasting, and giving. His good deeds are visible to everyone. We often praise people for their outward acts of goodness, and sometimes we judge others by their past mistakes or sins. It’s easy to feel good about ourselves when we compare our actions to those who have made mistakes.
But the real question isn’t: “Am I better than my neighbor?”
The true question is: “Am I as good as God?”
When we measure our lives against Jesus’ perfect life and the holiness of God, we realize that we fall short. All we can say is: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Dear friends,
It’s easy to compare ourselves to others and feel good about our actions. But the real standard for how we should live is God’s holiness. No matter how good we think we are, we will always fall short of God’s perfection. The more we focus on God’s holiness, the more we realize that our own goodness comes from God, and we need God’s mercy and grace. Rather than comparing ourselves to others, we should humbly ask for God’s help to become more like God, acknowledging that we are all in need of God’s mercy.
One practical thing to do this week: When someone gossips about others, kindly say, “Can we talk about something else? Would we like others talking behind our backs?”
With love,
Little-pencil
Little-pencil 