Luke 18:14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The purpose of this soul searching parable was laid out clearly by the writer, Luke, in v.9 - "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:"
The problem was not with the acts, but the attitude of the doer. The Pharisee in question sounded as if he was just interested in fulfilling a checklist and wanted to look good before men.
As we've observed earlier, as servants of righteousness in Christ, it is our duty to perform good works. There's nothing to shout about! Much less use our "accolades" by way of comparison.
On the other hand, the simple plea of the publican is no excuse for us to be just "beating our breasts" all the time! The work of the Lord remains an obligation to all the labourers in His Vineyard. Our humble and critical self-assessment from time to time is to spur ourselves to greater heights and not to wallow in self-pity.
So it remains vital that each and every one of us continually put in our best foot forward in our service to God and encourage others along with our example, to provoke one another unto love and good works (Heb 10:24), not as rivals, but as brothers and sisters, that we all may do our best for the Lord, and finally lay hold to that crown of righteousness.
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