Dear Faith Family,
Our prayers reveal our hearts even, at times, more clearly than do our actions.
At least, that is one take-away from Jesus' parable of "The Sinners" found in Luke 18:9-14. In the story, two men join with others to pray, to seek God for life true and whole. By all external observations, one man is well prepared for the encounter. Every habit of his life intentionally devoted to being there, in the place of God with God's people. None could look at him and see anyone other than a genuinely devoted man of faith.
The other man was quite the opposite. By all external observations, he should be barred from the premises. Every choice of his life led him away from God and God's people, to taking advantage of them, promoting their lack of flourishing, and ensuring the success of their opposition. None could look at him and see anyone other than a genuinely faithless man.
Nevertheless, both men come to pray, to seek God for life, true and whole. Yet here is the thing about face-to-face time with God; it's the heart that matters most: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8) And while the heart may be hard to see, it can be heard,
"For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."
(Lk. 6:45)
And so, when the two men pray, we see that one has a heart of faith and the other a heart of hate. However, in Jesus' story, the invisible hearts don't match the observable exteriors. The hearts, it seems, are in the wrong bodies!
Dulled by the distance of culture and the familiarity of sermonizing, the story's unexpected switch may not have the impact it probably should. We're all too ready to embrace the sinner's genuineness over self-righteous hypocrisy. But what if there is something more here for us to see?
For millennia, "the Church" (both eastern, western, and everywhere in-between) has considered a post-resurrection adaptation of the tax collector's prayer as "essential to our spiritual growth." In Luke 18:13, the traitor by choice "pounded his chest saying, 'God! Be merciful to [literally, 'Make atonement for'] me, a sinner." And from then until now, pouring out of hearts in countless languages from grand cathedrals and within simple huts, Jesus' followers have joined in praying like the sinner,
Lord Jesus, Son of God!
Have mercy on me, a sinner.
These simple words are not merely the beginning of faith but a mature and maturing expression of faith where "we discover a very personal and direct relationship with [Jesus]." For, we cannot pray this prayer without faith: the assurance of what is hoped for--God's faithfulness to be true to His promises no matter our infidelity--and conviction of that which is unseen--our hearts' broken and made clean through His loving action.
Repeating this prayer regularly (even repeatedly throughout the day as some do) is an action of persisting faith (Lk. 18:1-8), a "communion with God and participation in His grace."
So, why don't we join in, praying like the sinner with faith: "Lord Jesus, Son of God! Have mercy on me, a sinner."
Love you, faith family! God bless.