temple to pray." Jesus paints the picture of both men, going there to pray, but coming with very different viewpoints--one looking up, one looking down. . . The Pharisee, so self-righteous, that he prays something like this, 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people--robbers, crooks, adulterers, or heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.' Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.' Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." (The Message)

Good Morning to you--we are looking at Luke 18.9-14, where Jesus points out the flawed thinking of a spiritually-arrogant man vs. the request for mercy and forgiveness by the other man. It is almost a face-off between arrogance and humility. The Pharisee is quite 'out there' with his superior view of himself--even his posture gives him away, whereas the humble posture of the tax man shows the intent of his heart. Body language in prayer? Yep. (Sometimes when I am praying, I open my hands, palms up, to receive from God. . . sometimes in prayer, I kneel beside my bed; other times, I have knelt down, with my forehead on the ground. . . do you change up your posture at all?) What is interesting here is that the Pharisee has set himself up as judge and jury of men in general, and the tax man in particular, whereas the tax man looks just at himself. Jesus made it clear earlier in His ministry that we are not to judge others. And then He goes on to say that 'with the measure we judge others, we will be judged.' (Luke 6) Then apparently, the Pharisee forgot Proverbs 6.16, which says, "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes" tops the list--a proud heart. Pride allows us to see our sin as different from other people's sin--not as bad, usually.

I love the heart of the tax man, because he realizes he is doomed without God's mercy; "Have mercy on me, O God" he cries in humility. He is aware of how others view him; first-century dwellers viewed tax-collectors as vermin. Mr. Tax Guy was authentic, though. We 21st-century dwellers need to be the same--willing to own 'our stuff', willing to 'be real', willing to assume the correct posture before the only Justifier. You see, it is somewhat easy to fake being 'right' with God. When someone has been in and around the church for a while, they pick up the lingo, they know the jargon, and can talk the talk. . . 'problem is, the walk just might not be there. They can pray a beautifully-worded prayer, like they are reading a script, all the while their heart is cold. This ought not be so. Besides, I think God enjoys beginners' prayers best. . . and I KNOW I do.

Maybe the inequity of our response to sin--our own and others'--has to do with the public vs. private nature of sin. It is easy to put an 'A' on an adulterer; it is clear when someone lives life spinning one tale after another--never even remembering where truth let off, and lies began; but pride--especially spiritual pride--is equally insidious, and often more damaging, though it may not be as patently obvious. For instance, the tax man knew he was a sinner; the Pharisee hadn't a clue that he was. In reality, of course, both men were sinners. And I wonder. . . did the Pharisee actually go to the temple to pray, or to announce to those around him just how good he was? "But in humility, consider others better than yourselves," Paul wrote to the Philippians; humility--the attitude we need to embody.

One last thought on the matter--some times we just offer a blanket request for God to forgive us our sins. . . perhaps we should give God permission to show us our sin, what we need to clean up, if we need to seek someone's forgiveness, where we need to change~ like the psalmist, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. See if there be any sinful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139.23,24 "Cleanse me of evil, Lord--show me what is not pleasing to You, and may I take the pathway to change! I want You, O God, to have your way in me. Restore me and fill me anew with your Spirit. Amen"

"We come to you in penitence, confessing our sins: the vows we have forgotten, the opportunities we have let slip, the excuses whereby we have sought to deceive ourselves and you. Forgive us that we talk so much and are silent so seldom; that we are in such constant motion and so rarely still; that we depend so implicitly on the effectiveness of our organizations and so little on the power of your Spirit. Teach us to wait upon you, that we may renew our strength, mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint." William Coffin Jr., Minister of Riverside Church, New York City

This is the day that the Lord has made. .

rejoice in it!

Christine