12-16-2015

Good Morning All!!     

          Luke 18: 13; “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”

    “The line forms over there.”  The man pointed to the end of the line and it looked a long, long way down the path.  So I trudged to the end of the line, the queue or whatever you wanted to call it and waited my turn.  It seems like we spend a lot of time in line.  We get in line to get into the stadium or arena for a ballgame or a concert.  We get in line to buy a movie ticket.  We get in line to pay for our groceries or gas.  Sometimes we get in line for the bathroom.  Most of the time, we sigh at the sight of the line.  It looks like time wasted but; sometime, being in line can be a good thing.

    Our verse is the end of the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector.  The Pharisee told God how grateful he was not to be like others who were sinners.  He patted himself on the back for his own piety.  We almost get the impression that he, perhaps, expects God to say thank you.  How often do we feel or act this way?  We pat ourselves on the back for going to church, for putting a couple of dollars in the offering plate.  We look around and see some really wicked, evil people and think “I’m not bad like those guys; I even gave a couple of bucks to help out a little.  I am a right fine fellow.”  The problem with this is that we receive no mercy from God.  We receive no mercy because we are in the wrong line.

    The tax collector knew his condition; he knew that he was a sinner.  He didn’t look anywhere but at his heart and saw how dark and empty it was.  He knew he had transgressed; he knew he had turned from God and his love.  He knew he needed God to be merciful to him and because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God is merciful.  This is the right line.

    God gives to us mercy.  His love overflows and pours out upon us in many forms but we cannot be in the wrong line.  We need to be in the line that is filled with sinners, penitent sinners.  We need to be in line with those who pour out their heart to God and ask, really beg, for his mercy because we have no other way to forgiveness, to comfort for our conscience and peace for our soul.  We truly receive this when we see our only hope is God and we see our failures and cling entirely to his promises.  This is faith, clinging to God’s promises; this is the right line to be in.  When we think we are good enough to deserve God’s love and we demand God’s blessing we are in the wrong line. 

    We never deserve God’s love.  We never deserve his mercy.  We get it because God loves us and sent Jesus to redeem us.  Recognize that you are a sinner, beg God to forgive you and then be in line to receive his amazing love and forgiveness. 

Gracious Father, from you alone do we receive the forgiveness that we so desperately desire.  To have true peace we need your mercy to free our conscience and heal our heart.  Keep us in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret