But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (Luke 18:13)
Have you ever cried out to God? You got to a point, in life, where that’s all you had. You made a costly mistake, lost your job, ended your relationship with the one you loved, a family member passed away, or any other devastating experience leaving you with nothing but tears streaming down your face. Being on this earth for twenty-three years, I can gratefully say that I have not had many of these experiences, but I will admit, the few that I have experienced – I was in desperate need of hope.
Jesus starts verse thirteen with “but the tax collector” contrasting the tax collector’s prayer to the Pharisees prayer seen in verses ten through twelve. This stark contrast between the contrition of the sinner and the self-righteousness of the Pharisee is key to understanding the central point of the parable.
The tax collector stood far off. The Pharisee stood by himself. The reasons for each of these is different. The Pharisee, as we studied last week, stood by himself because of his elite status. The tax collector stood far off because he didn’t think he was good enough. He “would not even lift up his eyes to heaven”, the way same way Ezra could not lift up his own face after recognizing the weight of his sin (Ezra 9:6). The tax collector saw that he was helpless – he searched hope.
His reaction was to “beat his breast”, an action also seen at the cross in Luke 23:48, symbolizing grief and repentance. This Mideastern gesture was made by men to express their most extreme anguish. He cried out to God – “be merciful to me, a sinner”. What a beautiful and powerful prayer. This direct and simple request reflected a plea for mercy seen in Psalm 51:1, “Have mercy on me, O God”. He did not claim any virtue, but simply hoped for mercy. He brought nothing to God but himself and his sin.
Let’s all humble ourselves like the tax collector – approaching the throne of grace with empty hands. All of us are desperate. We are in need to experience compassion and forgiveness that is freely and given only by God. God wants you, not your works.
No matter where you are at in life, cry out to the Creator of the universe. Recognize your despairing need for Him. He forgives, saves, and restores. This faith-filled act by the tax collector was bold. He did not expect, nor deserve, mercy from God, but as we will study tomorrow… God responds favorably to his petition.
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I come to you with empty hands recognizing that I have nothing to offer but my need for mercy. I confess and repent of my sin. I ask for your unending forgiveness. I’m reminded that Romans 6:23 says, “for the wages of sin is death”. I praise you, Father, that this is not the end of the story. I cry out to you for compassion to save me from eternal death. I am a sinner in desperate need of a Savior. Amen.
Comentarios