Prayers of a Pharisee and a Publican
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told a parable concerning those who considered themselves “righteous” and despised others. Nowadays, there are many in our midst who fall under this category. Two mean went to pay in the Temple. One was a Pharisee and the other a publican. Pharisees were religious leaders for following the Jewish religious rites and customs in letter whereas publicans are common people known for performing the odd job of tax collection and of keeping inns. The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican….I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess…”
PRAYER OF A PHARISEE
Many people of God, after becoming the children of God through the Blood of Jesus Christ, attend the worship services regularly, pray and fast, and pay tithes to their churches. Nevertheless, they compare themselves with those “nominal” Christians who have not experienced salvation through Christ Jesus. At times, they boast that they are not like these unconverted Christians. . Have you ever said, “I am not like that person”? The moment you start comparing yourself with another person, you allow the spirit of pride to enter your.
They glory in their salvation experience or in the experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Their salvation experience or the experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost has not humbled them before God but has exalted them. A person who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit really becomes very humble and not arrogant. Today, there are many Christians who are deceived because they have received the spirit of error and not the spirit of truth (I John 4:6).
Some time back, I came across a woman from USA who claimed herself as the wife of a pastor. She further described her as the wife of the servant of the Most High and, on seeing the Bible verse on our Home Page regarding Paul’s command to glory in the Cross of Jesus Christ, she argued that she did not want to glory in the “wooden” cross of Jesus Christ or the crucifix which the Roman Catholics believed. She was “righteous” as the Pharisee and despised others who had carried the “wooden” crosses, whereas she herself did not know the significance of the Cross of Jesus Christ. I explained to her the significance of the spiritual Cross of Jesus Christ.
Like the Pharisee, many of us tell others that we fast and pray and that we give to God. Let our fasting and giving be secret.
PRAYER OF A PUBLICAN
What about the publican? He stood “afar off” and “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner”.
A saved soul or a born-again Christian has to confess his/her sins to God so that he/she continues to be washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ. There may be secret sins or unnoticed sins in our lives which need to be confessed and washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ. John writes in I John 1:8-10, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us”. Let us note that the Holy Spirit has to cleanse us from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. God must have forgiven all our sins at the time of our initial salvation experiences. But, we have committed or continue to commit many acts of unrighteousness. Can you say that you have not committed acts of unrighteousness?
A child of God has to seek purging of his/her conscience from dead works through the Blood of Jesus Christ (Heb.9:14). Dead works are those practices and customs deeply rooted in our consciences which militate against the New Testament doctrine of grace. The Blood of Jesus Christ continues to free us from these dead works. Many churches gravitate the children of God to the dead works by preaching certain commandments. They advocate a life to be lived by following certain commandments, and not a life to be lived dependent on the Holy Spirit. One denominational church advocates worshipping God on the Sabbath. Another denominational church stresses on the doctrines of salvation, water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism. I do not say that all these doctrines are not biblical. But, I stress here that the churches should not be built on such doctrines but on the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the Chief Corner Stone. People saved from heathen religions do follow some practices of their former religions because such practices have got rooted deeply in their consciences. Catholic churches still follow the dead works. The children of God should be taught the significance of the Blood of Jesus Christ.
Apostle Peter sought “sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ” on the elect in Pontus, Galatia, etc. (I Peter 1:1). The Holy Spirit sanctifies the people of God through the Blood of Jesus Christ.
As we daily meditate on the love of Christ manifested through the Cross of Calvary for us, we continue to be sanctified through the Blood of Jesus Christ and thus get the grace of God in abundance. LET US REMEMBER THAT THE GRACE OF GOD IS AVAILABLE TO US ONLY THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, AND NOT THROUGH OUR DEEDS. If we come to the Cross of Calvary daily, we cannot boast of our own righteousness or of our salvation or any spiritual experiences. And we will cry unto God like the publican, and say, “God be merciful to me a sinner”.
- Job Anbalagan