Luke 18:13 “And the publican, standing 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.”
In the “Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican”, the Lord presents two highly contrasting prayers. In the first prayer, the “Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee …” (Luke 18:11). In this prayer, the Pharisee spoke the name of “God” but he “prayed thus with himself”; that is, he wasn’t speaking to “God”, he was bragging on his own self-perceived righteousness, saying “I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11-12). In the extreme contrast, the “publican” who was perceived by all as a sinner, knowing that he was a sinner, he could not even come close, he stood “afar off” because of the shameful agony of his sin. The “publican” was so ashamed of his sins that he “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven”. The anguish of his sins was such that he “smote upon his breast”, for his sins had broken his heart. In his pitiful prayer, he cried, “God be merciful to me a sinner” – he had nothing to brag about, nothing to bring before the Lord with which to justify or excuse himself, he could only plea for mercy. The Lord proclaimed, that the “publican”, “this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:14). Let us examine ourselves in prayer, and be careful to sincerely humble ourselves and pray with true contrition as The Sinner Prayed!