2 Corinthians 10:1-18
Verses 17 and 18 say, “’Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.” This is almost a retelling of the parable in Luke 18:9-14 where the Pharisee and the tax collector each pray in the temple but the humility of the tax collector is praised by Jesus over the haughtiness of the Pharisee. (See the entry for June 8, 2007.) Paul, though, is making the same point based on his experiences with the Christians in Corinth, real experiences with real people. It also makes me think of the words of Micah 6:8, “…and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?” We should always take pride in what we are doing. We should always do our best. But we should do all things to the glory of God and not for our own aggrandizement. Clearly humility is an important aspect of a life of faith.
Luke 18:31-43
The contrast in this passage is between the disciples who are “blind” to Jesus’ foretelling of his passion (“what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what he said”—verse 34) and the blind man who understands that Jesus is the Son of David. The blind man “gets it” but the ones who can see do not. So I wonder: do I really understand what God is saying to me? Am I responding in faithful obedience, or am I blinded by the cares of the world to what God is doing and how I might be a part of it?
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