An industrialist, though somewhat untutored, was about to receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from a rather hard-pressed college. After the initial reception the evening before, one of the more sensitive members of the faculty approached the president and said, “This man doesn’t look like a scholar to me.” The president said, “No, but he looks like a woman’s dormitory to me.”
After the occasion, the industrialist was riding in the back seat of his limousine with his wife. Patting his rather expansive stomach while smoking a large cigar and thinking of the beautiful words spoken about him at the doctoral ceremony, the industrialist said to his wife, “Dear, You know, there are not many great men in the country today.” She said, “Dear, you are absolutely right. In fact, there is one less than you think.”
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A similar illustration that focuses on preachers:
Most Christians struggle with pride from time to time. I know I do. Melvin Newland told the story of another preacher who got a Christmas card one year. This card had a note from a lady in his congregation. She was very complimentary about his preaching, and even compared him to Billy Graham. She finished by saying, “I think you are one of the really great preachers of all time.”
*Later that day he showed the note to his wife. It was a big church, and his wife didn’t know the woman, so she asked, “Who is that woman?” Her preacher husband replied, “She is a very intelligent woman in the congregation who loves great preaching.”
*Then he then asked his wife, “How many great preachers do you suppose there really are in the world?” She quickly brought him back down to earth by answering: “One less than you think.”
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SermonCentral illustration contributed by Melvin Newland – Source: SermonCentral sermon “Dealing with Pride” by Lynn Floyd – Luke 18:9-13
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A shorter version:
A young preacher, looking up from his reading, asked his wife, “How many really great preachers do you think there are?”
She replied, “Well, I don’t know, but there is probably one less than you think.”