The apostle Paul gives us a new way to think about comparisons

By Dean Collins

Comparison has a good, a bad, and an ugly.

If you do any shopping online you are familiar with how some consumer sites allow you to check a box to compare one item against another. This allows you to compare features and price points among brands, and sometimes even among sellers. This comparison can be very helpful in making a good decision.

It’s quite natural to do comparison shopping. How many times have you picked up an item in the grocery store or pharmacy and checked the ingredients against the price? If the ingredients and amounts are the same on two different items, it’s logical to buy the one with the lower price. But you and I both know about many other areas of life where comparison leads to bad and ugly outcomes.

Unhealthy outcomes

Our tendency to compare how we are doing in life against another person can lead to thinking and feeling like we don’t measure up. If for instance, you measure your value as a person against another based on any number of qualities, you may well end up believing you simply don’t measure up. The result is a sense of inferiority. Comparing incomes, talents, org-chart status, and the like leads to more harm than good. Our value in life has little to do with such things, though we often beat ourselves up for where we see our status based on these characteristics. And comparison against what another person has or does can also lead to envy, which is both unhealthy and even sinful.

Comparison can also lead to unhealthy or negative spiritual outcomes. Sadly, we who claim to follow Jesus can get caught up in comparison around who follows him better or more accurately. This might express itself in comparison of doctrine or theology to determine who is closer to the truth or getting it right. Then we look down our spiritual noses at those who don’t quite measure up to real Christianity.

Reading through the Gospels we find that many in positions of leadership and authority in the synagogues Jesus visited often had issues with Jesus based on who he was hanging out with and what parties and dinners he attended. The fact that Jesus talked with and ate with sinners did not measure up to the standards of the religious leaders.

A different standard

In chapter 1 of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he offered what he called a trustworthy saying. Not only trustworthy but also “deserving of full acceptance,” meaning that what follows can be taken to the bank. Here is the gospel truth that Paul was sure of: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . . .” Our Bibles are filled with passages that confirm this truth. Jesus himself said that he didn’t come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Paul finished his thought with this tag: “of whom I am the foremost.” To be foremost assumes some comparison. Usually the foremost is the ranking person or category. Compared to the others it holds the highest place. Paul’s comparison against anyone else was that he was especially high in the sinner category. We churchgoers often see ourselves as a bit better than, not especially worse than, the rest of the crowd. I think it is this attitude and belief that likely weakens our influence with the world.

Even ground

The truth is that we all are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. I wonder what might happen if instead of tending to see ourselves as better than, we simply acknowledge that we in fact are no better than anyone we know or know about? I think what could happen is that those who are outside of Christ might feel more comfortable in conversation with us. We might find that friendships are formed. Maybe if there was less antagonism from Christians in social media it would be some small evidence that we understand we all are on even ground in terms of our failures. And this might lead to more people finding the level ground of the cross as their place of salvation.

Paul had it right. Jesus did come to save sinners. Joining Paul in acknowledging that we are the foremost of sinners is good protection against pride and arrogance. The humility we show in our attitudes toward others might just result in our transformation into becoming the servants of all, which is clearly a part of the teaching of Jesus.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:15-17; Luke‬ ‭5:30-32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Đồng Phục Hải Triều at www.pexels.com

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