I Am Weak, But He Is Strong

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:3

Have you ever met someone who always sees the bad in other people, but only sees the good in themselves? One day Jesus met some people like that. Like a pitcher trying to strike out a player, Jesus threw a story to them, hoping to show them their weak spots.  Jesus's story went something like this:

Two men went to church one day. The first man was in church every week. He knew every person he met. He knew the words to all the songs. He knew where to find the passage in the Bible when the preacher started preaching. The second man had never been to church before. He knew all the people there not because they were his friends, but because his actions had made them his enemies. He had spent his life taking advantage of all these people. But then he had a change of heart. When it came time to pray, the first man was prideful. He stood up and said his prayer aloud for all to hear. He prayed, "God, I'm glad I'm better than all these people who come to church each week and I'm especially glad I'm better than this man who is here for the first time." The prayer of the second man could not have been more different. He laid down on the floor. His lips moved, but no one in the room could hear him. What God heard him say went like this, "God, I'm the worst person imaginable. Please have mercy on me."

When he got done with his story, Jesus said, "the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Father, help me see my weakness so that you can make me strong.