A certain man came to the temple to pray. His heart was full of pride as he came before the Lord. He was convinced that he had exceeded the expectation of God. He then prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:11-12)
At the same
time another man came into the temple. He was a tax collector by profession.
The culture around him did not think highly of those in his line of work. When
he came before the Lord, he did not even raise his eyes toward heaven. He beat
upon his breast and simply prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”
(vs. 13)
We are all
familiar with this parable that Jesus gives in the gospel of Luke. Jesus
illustrates that it is not the one who boast before God that will be justified,
but the one who humbles himself before Him. This is the one who acknowledges
his sin and his great need for God’s grace and tender mercy.
It is a
humbling experience to recognize our own sins before God. We realize that it is
our sins that separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). It is our sins that enslave
us (John 8:34; Romans 6:16). If the problem of sin remains, it will lead to
death (Romans 6:23).
If we try to
atone for our sins apart from God’s grace, we will quickly realize that we have
nothing to offer God. The silver and the gold of this earth belong to Him
(Haggi 2:8). All the beast and cattle also are His (Psalms 50:10-11). Our own righteousness before God is like
filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, apart from Christ, we are lost without
hope.
God has
acknowledged our human frailty. He did for us what we could not do for
ourselves. He sent His only Son into this world that we through Him could be
saved. Paul wrote, “In Him we have redemption through His blood the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7)
Recognizing our
need for a Savior requires great humility. It is the humble heart that prompted
the men on the day of Pentecost to ask, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
(Acts 2:37). Because they sought God’s mercy from a sincere and humble heart,
they received their answer. Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (vs. 38).
When we
maintain a humble heart before God, we will not be like the Pharisee who put
his trust in himself. Rather, our confidence will be firmly grounded our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
God Bless each
of you,
Eric Hicks
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