Rationalization
After enjoying warm weather for several days, we are back to colder weather and snow. Debbie and I had another full Sunday at church today. We attended the 8:30 a.m. service and then I joined Debbie and Charlie for their “Grief Share” class at 10 a.m. It was a good size group representing a variety of losses that are impacting their lives.
The rest of the day has been a good time to sit by the fireplace and to rest up from a busy Saturday and get ready for the week ahead.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: âGod, I thank you that I am not like other peopleârobbers, evildoers, adulterersâor even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.â âBut the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, âGod, have mercy on me, a sinner.â Luke 18:11-3
The heart of people is often revealed in their prayers and their attitude toward God. The Pharisees in Jesus day were known for their strict adherence to the law plus. They were so concerned about “God’s law” they made their own “laws” designed to keep people from breaking God’s law, but soon God’s law became secondary to the Pharisees laws. As a result they received a sharper rebuke from Jesus than almost any other group.
In this parable, Jesus describes the Pharisee who in God’s House, prayed to himself about himself. Yes, He used God’s name, but could be considered doing so in vain. He justified his life and acceptance before God based on comparing himself to other. This was a rationale argument of why he was “holy” and acceptable to God.
Many people today attempt to rationalize their lives to get around the simple truth of the gospel. They want to get into heaven in their own way and on their own merit. So they like the Pharisees of old rationalize themselves before God, or at least in the eyes of others.
Besides rationalizing ourselves as acceptable to God by contrasting our lives to others, we tend to do so by comparing others to ourselves. In other words, “I’m just the same as other people, so I must be okay.” It’s the “other-people-are doing-it” excuse. I think the last time that was used the police officer said, “but you are the one who got caught.”
In Jesus’ parable the tax collector, who was among the most disrespected groups of the day, showed true humility and contrition. He kept his head bowed and simply pleaded for mercy. As a result, he was the one,of these two men who left the place of prayer right before the Lord.
The Bible is clear that before God, “there are none that are righteous…” (Romans 3:10) We can’t excuse ourselves or justify or rationalize our life and actions in any manner to be acceptable to God. But we can in faith surrender our life to God and like the tax collector ask for God’s mercy.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:1)
We can try to have peace by rationalizing our life and actions before God, or we can through faith be justified before God, because of Christ and thereby experience His forgiveness, peace and freedom.