God Have Mercy
This past Sunday's Gospel reading was Luke 18:9-14. It is an amazing parable which Jesus told to "some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else." (verse 9).
The parable challenges the religious thinking that people can have merit before God that makes them righteous. The Pharisee thought he was better than others because he wasn't like "other people" who sinned (vs 11) but instead called attention in his prayer to the things he did that were measurable: fasted two times/week and gave 1/10th of all he got (vs. 12).
The other person praying in the temple that day (and to whom the Pharisee compares himself and thought himself better than) was a tax collector. The tax collector had a posture of contrition and humility. He wouldn't even look to heaven and was beating his breast. His prayer was, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ (vs 13).
Jesus goes on to say this about the tax collector:
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I decided to try and draw out what it means to exalt and humble oneself. Here is what I came up with:
The person who exalts themselves by trusting in themselves that they are righteous and viewing others with contempt essentially view themselves as equal with God. They look down on others. This is a false stance.
The person who humbles themselves by acknowledging their sin and need for God's mercy views themselves as beneath God and equal with others. They look up to God. This is a true view of reality.
As with other things in the kingdom of God... there is a surprising twist. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. The truth will come out - that person is beneath God and equal to all other humans. Those who humble themselves will be exalted. They receive mercy and the righteousness of God is applied to them in Christ. Wow!
I keenly remember as a young adult when it hit me: "I've been viewing myself like the Pharisee when actually, I am a sinner like the tax collector." Since that time my prayer has been,
"God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
The parable challenges the religious thinking that people can have merit before God that makes them righteous. The Pharisee thought he was better than others because he wasn't like "other people" who sinned (vs 11) but instead called attention in his prayer to the things he did that were measurable: fasted two times/week and gave 1/10th of all he got (vs. 12).
The other person praying in the temple that day (and to whom the Pharisee compares himself and thought himself better than) was a tax collector. The tax collector had a posture of contrition and humility. He wouldn't even look to heaven and was beating his breast. His prayer was, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ (vs 13).
Jesus goes on to say this about the tax collector:
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I decided to try and draw out what it means to exalt and humble oneself. Here is what I came up with:
The person who exalts themselves by trusting in themselves that they are righteous and viewing others with contempt essentially view themselves as equal with God. They look down on others. This is a false stance.
The person who humbles themselves by acknowledging their sin and need for God's mercy views themselves as beneath God and equal with others. They look up to God. This is a true view of reality.
As with other things in the kingdom of God... there is a surprising twist. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. The truth will come out - that person is beneath God and equal to all other humans. Those who humble themselves will be exalted. They receive mercy and the righteousness of God is applied to them in Christ. Wow!
I keenly remember as a young adult when it hit me: "I've been viewing myself like the Pharisee when actually, I am a sinner like the tax collector." Since that time my prayer has been,
"God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
I was pondering these verses after reading your post. I think it is revealing that, as you say, the Pharisee draws attention to what is measurable (and puts his faith in these measurable actions). It is always very tempting for us to try to measure our "righteousness" by external things rather than by looking at our hearts.
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