Grace and mercy

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ ”                    Luke 18.13

Luke describes the context of this parable thus: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else…  (v9).

Jesus tells of two men. One, a Pharisee, prayed about himself. His words to God speak of his own goodness. In contrast, the tax collector is filled with awareness of his own, miserable, sinful state. He knows that any righteousness he may receive will come to him, not by his own self-proclaimed good deeds, but purely by God’s mercy.

This is the case for us all. God clearly reminds us on this through Paul’s words to the Corinthian church, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12.9).

I stand with the tax collector, and present myself before God as a wretched sinner. This is the grossness of my weakness. I can come no other way. God, in His mercy, bestows grace upon me and pardons me from all my sin through the supreme sacrifice that Jesus made for me.

Yet, as I reflect, God draws me to Him in the first place, and this likely through the power of His Holy Spirit active here on earth. I am, therefore, “victim” – if such a word fits – perhaps I should qualify it as “glorious victim” – to this “God conspiracy”. God chose to take hold of me, to draw me to Him and, by His grace, release me from every miserable sin, to enjoy present and eternal sweet and loving relationship with Him. Hallelujah!

Mighty God,

I indeed come to You as the tax collector did. I am a sinner and not worthy, in my own right, to look up to heaven. But I have been saved by Jesus and released from all sin. I rejoice in You. I sing praise to You in the highest heaven. I can come to You only because You draw me. I am so blessed. I thank You, O how I thank You, Precious Saviour.              Amen.