Two people went to pray in the temple. Luke 18:10-14.
One was a Pharisee and the other a Publican!
While the Publican’s prayer was justified, the prayer of the Pharisee was condemned. Why? What was so special about the Publican’s prayer?
THE PUBLICAN’S PRAYER:
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:13
We can see 4 important aspects in the Publican’s prayer:
- He stood afar off inside the temple – This was because the Publican acknowledged his sinful life before God — he admitted his position and stated as he was.
- He was unwilling to even lift his eyes to heaven – He did this because he understood his unworthiness in God’s presence. Perhaps, he lived an unjust life like Zacchaeus.
- He kept striking his chest – This is a sign of deep sorrow. He was crying out to God, desperately seeking for forgiveness.
- He prayed, God be merciful to me a sinner!
Humility was evident in the Publican’s prayer and therefore he went back to his house being justified by God. But the Pharisee, even though he religiously followed every law, yet, he failed to humbly pray to God. His prayer was rather self-righteous and that’s why he went back condemned.
God looks into our hearts and knows who we really are! He is an impartial God and those calling out to Him from the depth of their hearts are sure to be heard. ❤️😊
Be blessed 💕
Great reminder, thank you! Humility can sometimes be hard to get right, Maybe it is about looking to God, rather than looking to ourselves.
Thank you so much, dear friend❤️ You made a great point as well! True! humility is hard to get because its opposite ‘the pride’ has to be chopped off to become humble. But definitely, when we surrender ourselves to Jesus, He helps us with this issue.
Thanks for this sis. Humility is key. And we acknowledge who God is when we remain humble before Him.
Amen! Thank you for reading 😊❤️
You are welcome.😊