A Humble Sinner in Need of Propitiation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bible Verses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 18:9 And He told this parable also to certain ones who
trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised the
rest: (10) Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a
Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (11) The Pharisee stood
and prayed these things to himself: God, I thank You that I am
not like the rest of men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even like this tax collector. (12) I fast twice a week; I give
a tenth of all that I get. (13) But the tax collector, standing
at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but
beat his breast, saying, God, be propitiated to me, the sinner!
(14) I tell you, This man went down to his house justified
rather than that one; for everyone who exalts himself shall be
humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Words of Ministry~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In verses 10 through 14 the Lord tells a parable of two men who
"went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the
other a tax collector" (v. 10). The Lord often used tax
collectors and Pharisees as examples. The Pharisee's word in
verse 11, where he thanks God that he is not like the rest of
men, does not sound like a prayer at all; instead, it sounds
like an accusation of others. Likewise, his word in verse 12
about fasting and paying tithes does not sound like a prayer,
but rather like an arrogant boast to God. Therefore, in his
prayer the Pharisee was accusing others and boasting to God.
In verse 13 we see that the despised, accused, and condemned
tax collector prayed in the way of humbling himself to the
uttermost... His prayer implies the need of a Redeemer and also
the need of propitiation. The tax collector realized how his
sinfulness offended God. Hence, he asked God to be propitiated,
to be appeased toward him by a propitiation, so that God may be
merciful and gracious to him. This humble person realized that
he was nothing but a sinner. Because he offered up a prayer
that was based upon God's propitiation, he "went down to his
house justified" (v. 14).
Actually, to repent and confess our sins is to humble
ourselves. All saved ones are those who have been humbled and
subdued. When I was young, I was proud and arrogant, never
willing to admit that I was wrong. But one day the Spirit
caught me, and I was convinced, humbled, and subdued. It seemed
to me that no one was as sinful as I was. My attitude was the
exact opposite of what it had been before. I can testify from
experience that a saved person is a humble, subdued person. We
need to humble ourselves to such an extent that we consider
ourselves nobody and nothing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry. Bible verses are taken from
the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry,
from Witness Lee, Life-study of Luke, pp. 353-356. Both are
published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. (Repeat
3/6/02)
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