The Comparison Trap

What good is it to be good if no one knows it?

The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income."  - Luke 18:11-12

I admit that I like to let people know what I am doing, especially when the project is something that benefits others.  That's not the same as this Pharisee, is it?

He is comparing his self recognized piety as something that puts him above others who he feels are less worthy of God's love.  When I look at it closely, nothing I do is like that.

Ah, but that statement is exactly what Jesus is talking about.  Once I compare, I fall into the trap.

But all through life we compare ourselves to others.  We look to get good grades so that we will be better candidates for college.  We run hard to win the race.  We look to be top performers at work.

Life is all about outperforming others, being better, striving to be the best.

So, why does it sound so wrong when the Pharisee compares himself to a sinner?

Is it OK to think it but not say it?

Is it possible to not think it?

Jesus uses a comparison to help his followers see themselves falling into the trap.  If they see themselves as better than others, they might fail to serve those in need.  The satisfaction of being better than someone else distracts us from our ministry and mission.

By telling us about a Pharisee and a sinner, Jesus forces us to draw a comparison between each of them and us.  He invites us into the dilemma, knowing we will do just what the Pharisee does.

That's the humor in this parable.  We can't help but see ourselves doing it, even if we don't see ourselves doing this.

So, it is not the comparison that is the root of evil here, but the attitude one has about the differences between them.

We are drawn in and the trap is sprung on us.  We are guilty by association and guilty by comparison.

So, how do we avoid the trap?

We don't.  We acknowledge that we are not able to avoid it and we move on.  Like sin itself, it is unavoidable, and all are guilty.

In a way, it is like breaking the law.  People who fail to stop at stop signs break the law.  So do people who rob banks or commit murder.  They too break the law.  It is easy to compare one to the other and say this is not as bad as that, but it is still a crime.

We believe we are good most of the time, and we pride ourselves on not breaking the laws, but do we live up to our self-image?

Let's try something today.

As we go through the day, let's count the number of laws we break.  The act of thinking about them may keep us from breaking them, so in the end, we should be able to say we made it through the day without a hitch.

Or, we may just discover that there are so many laws we are unaware of, we have no clue if we broke one or not.

Now, when you make it through, try not to brag about it.  The trap is set.

More to come...