Afar Beat Beating Breast Collector Compassion Distance Grief Heaven Keeping Kept Lift Lifting Merciful Mercy O Propitious Publican Reconciled Saying Signs Sinner Smiting Smote Standing Stood Tax Tax-farmer Tax-gatherer Unwilling Wouldn't
18:13 And the publican, standing {e} afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
(e) Far from the Pharisee in a lower place.
18:13 The publican, standing afar off. Remote from other worshipers, like a pariah.
Would not lift up so much as [his] eyes. His spirit was so humble and contrite. The Pharisees probably had both hands and eyes lifted up.
Smote upon his breast. An act denoting sorrow.
God be merciful to me a sinner. A humble confession.
18:13 The publican standing afar off - From the holy of holies, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven - Touched with shame, which is more ingenuous than fear.
18:9-14 This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who come short of the righteousness of this Pharisee, yet he was not accepted; and why not? He went up to the temple to pray, but was full of himself and his own goodness; the favour and grace of God he did not think worth asking. Let us beware of presenting proud devotions to the Lord, and of despising others. The publican's address to God was full of humility, and of repentance for sin, and desire toward God. His prayer was short, but to the purpose; God be merciful to me a sinner. Blessed be God, that we have this short prayer upon record, as an answered prayer; and that we are sure that he who prayed it, went to his house justified; for so shall we be, if we pray it, as he did, through Jesus Christ. He owned himself a sinner by nature, by practice, guilty before God. He had no dependence but upon the mercy of God; upon that alone he relied. And God's glory is to resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. Justification is of God in Christ; therefore the self-condemned, and not the self-righteous, are justified before God.
Afar Beat Beating Breast Collector Compassion Eyes Far Hand Heaven Keeping Kept Lift Merciful Publican Signs Sinner Smote Standing Stood Tax Tax-Farmer Tax-Gatherer Wouldn't
Afar Beat Beating Breast Collector Compassion Eyes Far Hand Heaven Keeping Kept Lift Merciful Publican Signs Sinner Smote Standing Stood Tax Tax-Farmer Tax-Gatherer Wouldn't
