XXIX The Pharisee and the Publican
Two men were wending their way towards God’s Temple at Jerusalem, a Pharisee and a Publican.
There, on a hill, stood the beautiful building with its white marble pillars glistening in the sun; and as they walked along the hot roads towards God’s House, their thoughts were very different.
They knew that God’s Holy Presence was in that Temple to which they were going, and one of them thought with awe that he would soon be in the place where he would meet with God.
The other man was thinking entirely about himself, and nothing at all about God.
So they ascended the many steps leading up into the Temple, and at last stood within the Sacred House.
And then the Pharisee thought of how he understood all about God’s law, and how he did not need anyone to teach him what was written in the Scriptures.
But he did not know two things which would have made him a different man—he did not know his own heart, and he did not know God’s heart.
He did not know that his own heart was full of pride and love of self; he did not know that God’s heart was full of pity and tender love towards sinful men who came to Him to be forgiven.
So the Pharisee began to pray. And when the Lord Jesus told us this story about him, He said “he stood and prayed thus with himself.”
But he began his prayer like this:—
“God! I thank thee that I am not like other men! I am not one who exacts more than I should from others; I am not unjust or impure; or even like this Publican. I fast twice in every week, and I give tithes of everything I have.”
Then the Pharisee, having finished his prayer, went down once more to his home.
He had not seen the vision of God! He had not come near to Him, nor waited to receive the answer to his words. He did not even know what he had missed!
And the other man who went up to pray was the Publican.
He was a collector of the Roman taxes; and because of the frequent cheating of these publicans, they were hated by the Jews.
It was a calling which gave great opportunities for dishonesty, and when some of the Jews, for the sake of gain, engaged in it, they were despised and called traitors.
So this Publican, whom our Lord Jesus told about in this story, was evidently a Jew, as he among other Jews “went up into the Temple to pray.”
And when he entered God’s House, there stood the Pharisee praying; but the Publican, standing afar off, not full of his own good deeds, but feeling ashamed of his own sinfulness, would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but smote his breast saying:
“God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
And our Lord turned to those who were listening to Him and said, “I tell you, this Publican went down to his house justified, rather than the other.”
Do you wonder what it is to be justified? Should we not all like, when we have been naughty, or have done wrong, to know that we may go down, like the Publican did to his house, justified?
It means, I think, for a person to realise that some one greater and richer than himself has undertaken to set him free from his debt.
It means that we have come to God and told Him that we are very sorry we have been naughty, and have asked Him to have mercy upon us, and to forgive us for Jesus’ sake.
When we have done that, we may, indeed, like the Publican, go away “justified.”
Perhaps some boy gets into trouble at school, and owes something to another boy, which he has no means of paying.
So the boy who owes the money goes to his father. He knows he has done wrong, but he tells his father all about it, and asks him to help him. And the loving father sees to it all for him, and pays the debt.
The school-fellows know nothing about this, but they have heard about the debt, and they whisper to each other, and jeer when the boy comes near.
But to their surprise, he raises his head now! “My father has paid,” he says, with shining eyes.
I think that is being “justified.”
And it seems to me that that was how the Publican felt, when he had told God he was a sinner, and had asked for His mercy.
He went home happy, and forgiven!
GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME, A SINNER!
Here is a comforting promise for us all—
“This is a faithful saying... that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!”