FWD: Morning Manna May 10-BP: Lk. 18:9-14; RBTTY: Jn. 1:29-51; II Kings 10-12

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Sent: Fri, 9 May 2008 08:17:49 -0500
To: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Subject: Morning Manna May 10-BP: Lk. 18:9-14; RBTTY: Jn. 1:29-51; II Kings 10-12
 

May 10                                                                                             “The Cry for Mercy”

 

“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’.”

                                                                                                                         Luke 18:13

     When we realize who we are and what we deserve, this is the only prayer we can pray.

     Who are you, Pilgrim?

     If a total stranger walked up to you right now and asked, “Who are you?” what would be your reply?  Most likely, most of us would tell him our name, where we live, where we work and possibly a little about our family.

 

     But, who of us would “smite ourselves on our breast and cry, ‘I’m a no-good, undeserving sinner, who is a big, fat zero apart from God’s mercy and grace”?  Most likely, very few of us.

 

     However, in reality, that’s exactly what we are before the Heavenly Father in condescending love reaches down and “plucks us out of the miry clay in the horrible pit   . . .sets our feet upon a solid rock. . .establishes our goings and puts a new song in our mouth, even a song of praise” (Is. 40:1-3).

 

     That’s why today’s Manna should always remind us of our need of the Savior; otherwise, we’re apt to become more like the Pharisee than we are the publican (vv.11-12).  And, woe to anyone who spends more time thanking God for what he’s not instead of thanking Him for His forgiveness and redeeming love.

 

     Oh, dear Pilgrim, it’s easy to forget that it’s only “because of God’s mercies that we’re not consumed” (Lam. 3:21-23).  None of us deserve a break today; we only deserve death and hell.  Anything beyond that is grace.

 

     Likewise, it’s not our “do-and-don’t list” that impresses God; instead, it’s our felt need of Him.  How easily pride slips in, filling our senses with a sense of our own spiritual superiority that looks down on those who are not as close to God as we are.

 

     God forbid!

     Jesus was very clear in his assessment of them both.  The tax collector, viewed as a traitor and thief by his fellow countrymen, “went down to his house justified” (v.14a); however, the Pharisee received no commendation from our Lord because he was too busy patting himself on his own back.

 

     How wonderful to know the Lord “gives grace to the humble” (I Pet. 5:5).  The Greek word “tapeinoo” is used in our Manna for “humbles himself” (v.14b) and basically means “to depress, bring one’s self low, humiliate, cast down, of low estate, etc.”  Essentially, it is our looking into the mirror of God’s Word and realizing just how sinful we are—and then running to the Cross to cry out for His mercy.  May the Holy Spirit help us to remember this today in our dealings with those around us.

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Mr. Lynn M. Smith

Department Business Administrator

Department of Economics

University of Houston

204C McElhinney Hall

Houston, TX 77204-5019

(713) 743-3802 (office)

(713) 743-3798 (fax)

LSmith20@central.uh.edu (email)

http://www.class.uh.edu/econ/ (department website)

  

 

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