IN the eighteenth chapter of Luke, Jesus gives utterance to a parable spoken, as the inspired record declares, "unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." In this parable the words, "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are," present a picture of self-righteousness and self-satisfaction which, standing out in striking contrast with the picture of humility and self-abnegation portrayed by the words of the publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner," has justly received the condemnation of all thinking people.
The belief of self, in whatever form it may appear to find lodgment in the human thought, seems to be one of the greatest obstructions to the progress of mankind out of materiality into spirituality; indeed, it may be said, without serious departure from the absolute truth, that the mortal sense of self in one form or another is the only enemy of mankind. Nearly every evil tendency can be traced in its last analysis to self. It is self which is the procuring cause of greed, avarice, lust, jealousy, hatred, revenge,—all materiality. Self represents the corporeal or material man; in fact, self stands for the belief of matter, with all its limitations and lusts.
Self-pity, self-justification, and self-condemnation,—all these are beliefs which are bad enough, and which tend to retard one's progress; but self-rightousness is a belief which, while entertained by the human thought, will seem to do more toward shutting off the supply of good than any other phase of self.
