God be merciful

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, '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.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  - Luke 18.9-14

Here we have the classic example of two ways to approach God. Jesus told this story to a bunch of guys who felt like they were righteous in their own righteousness and always put down anyone who was not like them.

‘Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisees and the other a tax collector.

You can sense the arrogance of the Pharisee’s prayer. ‘I thank you God that I am not like that guy over there! I am not an extortioner, or unjust, or an adulterer, or even a tax collector like him! I am religious! I fast twice a week. I pay my tithe!’

Wow! Pretty self-important guy, isn’t he? His whole claim before God was that he was not so bad and that God was pretty lucky to have a guy like him!

Though maybe a bit overplayed there is a temptation to think about ourselves that way. ‘I am not so bad off, at least like those other people. I know my religious bit. So really, I am in pretty good shape.’

The tax collector stood in the temple to pray. His attitude could not have been more different. He raised his eyes to heaven, beat his breast, and said ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’

That is pretty direct and pretty clear. He was way beyond where the Pharisee was. He had no delusions of his own grandeur.

‘Be merciful to me a sinner.’

When it comes right down to it that is the core of understanding salvation. Religion says keep doing and keep trying to be religious. That will never be good enough.

What we need is a full reliance on the mercy of God. Praise God that He hears the penitential cry for mercy.

Our only right to approach God comes because of His mercy. His mercies are new and fresh every morning. It is only by His mercy that we are not consumed by our sin.

Only the tax collector went home justified. He humbled himself so God could lift him up.

We have the merit to approach God because He showed His mercy by sending His son.

Indeed, God be merciful to me a sinner.