The Box and the Basket: A Lesson in Humility

Two Objects, Two Ways of Being

Imagine two objects sitting side by side. One is a beautiful box — shiny paper, stars that catch the light, fancy colors that seem to say, Look at me! The other is a simple basket — plain, brown, unadorned, nothing flashy about it at all.

These two objects tell us something important about a story Jesus once told.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

In today's Bible reading, Jesus tells a parable — a story with hidden meanings woven into it. He describes two people who go to pray.

The first is a religious leader, a bit like a minister. He stands up in public wearing all his robes, making loud and long-winded prayers for everyone to hear. He wants the world to see just how holy and prayerful he is. He's putting himself on display.

Then there's a tax collector. In Jesus' time, tax collectors weren't exactly popular — they were looked down upon by most people. But this man comes forward, beats his chest with his hands, and cries out:

Lord, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner.

Jesus tells this story to draw a sharp contrast between two very different ways of being before God.

Shiny but Closed, or Humble and Open?

We can be like the box — shiny, impressive, covered in all the right colors and wrapping. We can stand out and say, "Look at all the wonderful colors! Look how good I am!" But here's the thing about the box: it has a lid on it. Nothing can get in or out. The box is interested in itself.

Or we can be like the basket — humble, unimpressive to look at, but open. Because the basket has no lid, it can receive love, relationship, hope, and all the good things that come from God.

The box is like the religious leader in the story. It looks really good on the outside, but it's closed — proud of its paper, its color, its shininess. The basket is like the tax collector, who isn't looking to impress anyone but instead opens himself up to God and says, "God, I need your love. I need your help. I need your care."

Where God Comes In

Because the tax collector is open like the basket and humble like the basket, God can get in and change him and fill him. And so Jesus commends this way of being. This, he says, is how you are to live as you follow after him:

• Humble, not proud
• Open, not self-seeking
• Ready to receive the good things God has for us

It's really hard to do sometimes — to be open and to be humble. But that's exactly how and when God comes into our lives.

An Encouragement to Us

Jesus tells this story as an encouragement. Be open. Don't be proud. Don't be self-seeking like the box, like the minister in the story. When we come to God with open hands and humble hearts, we receive the good things of God — which begin and end in the love he gives to us in Jesus.

May that bless you today as you continue to follow after him. Amen.