FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023
“Appreciated by God”
Luke 18:1-14
Dawn Hutchinson
Have you ever known someone who needs to have their work recognized? “Look, I’ve done the dishes today! Look, I’ve cleaned my room! Look, I wrote the report that I was assigned to write ON TIME!” Many people need this sort of affirmation. It helps them feel like their work is valued by others. If someone does not notice their work, they feel unappreciated.
Both parables describe a humble person who deserves God’s justice. In other words, it is not the person who puffs themselves up and praises themselves in front of everyone. Rather, it is the person who quietly serves God and is humble. It was a quiet tax collector who “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.’’ (Verse 13) This person was considered to be the one who was most appreciated by God in the two parables.
Prayer: God, help me to be humble, and to praise you, rather than need to be praised myself. Amen.