Read Luke 18:9-14
Two very different attitudes and approaches to worship. Both people in Jesus’ parable were going to the temple to pray. One felt as if he was God’s shining example to the world and was ready to shine. The other had a sober understanding of the holiness of God and his own need of forgiveness.
Once again Jesus made the hero or good guy in his story a surprising character: a tax collector. Tax collectors were hated even more than Samaritans. Collaborators with the Roman government, these traitors were seen as deserters of their faith and heritage. And Jesus used the example of a tax collector seeking mercy from God as an example of who will be justified in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ hearers were once again challenged by his bold example of God grace and scaling condemnation of the Pharisees.
This provocative teaching of Jesus reminds us that worship and prayer is never about our own worthiness above the “sinners” of the world (whatever groups of people we tend to put in that category). Worship and prayer is about seeking God’s mercy and declaring His amazing grace.
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