The Pharisee and the Publican

David said, Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither have I exercised myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. I am as a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is as a weaned child. And in Jesus’ parable we likewise find the publican whose eyes are not lofty, but downcast. This was a man who was ashamed of himself. And yet, remarkably, this is the man who went home justified. Why? Because he was, in spite of his shame, also confident. He said, Lord be merciful to me a sinner. The term for mercy here is one that implies propitiation, sacrifice, atonement. It’s the same as the mercy meant by the mercy seat in the ark of the covenant. That was the seat that was covering the tables of the commandments, the seat on which the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled. And that is what the publican sees, the blood of the sacrifice of the savior. The blood of Christ is our atoning sacrifice is also for us the basis of our confidence. So while being ashamed of ourselves, let us also be confident in Him; unlike the Pharisee whose confidence was in himself. He recounted his deeds, thinking they were what would justify him. Let us have the confidence of David, whose eyes were not lofty, but whose hope was confident, like a child weaned of his mother. Sermon for Trinity XI.
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