Luke 18:13. And the publican, standing afar off, -
Just on the edge of the crowd, keeping as far away as he could from the most holy place, -
Luke 18:13. Would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
That was all prayer; it was a prayer for mercy, it was a prayer in which the suppliant took his right place, for he was, as he said, "a sinner." He does not describe himself as a penitent sinner, or as a praying sinner, but simply as a sinner, and as a sinner he goes to God asking for mercy. Our English version does not give the full meaning of the publican’s prayer, it is, "God be propitious to me," that is, "be gracious to me through the ordained sacrifice;" and that is one of the points of the prayer that made it so acceptable to God. There is a mention of the atonement in it, there is a pleading of the sacrificial blood. It was a real prayer, and an acceptable prayer, while the Pharisee’s boasting was not a prayer at all.
Luke 18:13. And the publican, standing afar off, -
Just on the edge of the crowd, keeping as far away as he could from the most holy place, -
Luke 18:13. Would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
That was all prayer; it was a prayer for mercy, it was a prayer in which the suppliant took his right place, for he was, as he said, "a sinner." He does not describe himself as a penitent sinner, or as a praying sinner, but simply as a sinner, and as a sinner he goes to God asking for mercy. Our English version does not give the full meaning of the publican’s prayer, it is, "God be propitious to me," that is, "be gracious to me through the ordained sacrifice;" and that is one of the points of the prayer that made it so acceptable to God. There is a mention of the atonement in it, there is a pleading of the sacrificial blood. It was a real prayer, and an acceptable prayer, while the Pharisee’s boasting was not a prayer at all.