God, be merciful to me, the sinner.

Today’s Scripture: Luke 18:13, BLB, “But the tax collector, standing afar off, was not even willing to lift up the eyes to heaven, but was striking his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’”

We try every trick in the book to overcome our sins, don’t we? I know I have tried every logical method to stop my sinning. I have accepted that I can only do as the tax collector in Luke 18:13, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” (BLB). I chose the Berean Literal Bible translation because calling myself “the” sinner reminded me of how Paul felt in 1 Timothy 1:15 when he said he was the worst of sinners.

We all feel like we are the worst when we continue to do things we hate. We also fail when we think we can fix our sins. Jesus Himself instructs how to overcome in Luke 18:1 “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (NIV)

In Luke 18:3-8, Jesus tells of the widow who persistently kept going to the judge. Although the judge kept refusing her pleas, she was persistent in her cries. In Luke 18:5 the judge in the story, in various translations, said the widow kept bothering him, driving him crazy, wearing him out, pestering him, and troubling him. She kept coming to him with constant, continual, and perpetual requests.

Thankfully, we cannot wear God out or drive Him crazy with our cries for mercy. We should spend more time crying out to God than we do in trying to fix ourselves. In fact in Luke 18:8 it appears to me that Jesus is referring to finding us faithful more about our consistency in prayer than in our consistency of performance. Jesus asked a reflective question for all of us in Luke 18:7, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” (NIV)

God built us to come to Him. Squeezed between the parable of the widow, the Pharisee, and the tax collector we are told, in part, that Jesus was speaking to those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous.” Luke 18:9 (NKJV) We were not created to trust ourselves.

If Jesus does not expect us to trust ourselves, why do we attempt repeatedly to save ourselves? As Jesus indicated with the Pharisee in Luke 18:11, we should not think of ourselves better than anyone else. We need to stick to humbling ourselves before the LORD day and night. In fact, in Luke 18:14, Jesus promises that “those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (NIV)

Let us accept Jesus’ statement to the rich young ruler in Luke 18:19 “No one is good but One, that is, God.” (NKJV) God does not expect us to be good. He expects us to come to Him, with all our shortcomings and sins. As Jesus required of the rich young man in Luke 18:22, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (NKJV) We must give up all that we trust in to follow Jesus.

Instead of wasting time attempting to fix ourselves and walking around with guilt and remorse, let us give our all to follow Jesus. Following Jesus and praying to God for mercy is where we find faithfulness.

We must not give up remembering Luke 18:27, “Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (NIV) We must keep hope, always, in the possibilities of God and the saving grace of His Son Jesus Christ.

Today’s Prayer: God, be merciful to me, the sinner! I am praying day and night to give up all I have to follow Jesus. Thank You Father God for the teachings of Jesus that open our eyes up to what You consider faithful. Thank You God for making all things possible. Help us to remain faithful. Amen.