How do the elect of God pray for the coming of Christ and the shining of his kingdom? Are those saints good, perfect, and prepared for his coming, or are they lacking godliness, righteousness, and love?
Jesus shows us a Pharisee who went into the temple during the time specified for praying (usually 09.00 A.M. and 03.00 P.M) to glorify God. The prayer had a great conceit of himself and trust in his own abilities rather than he had in God. This proud man was convinced with his own righteousness. It did not cross his mind that he might be a sinner, for he had kept strictly the law with its interpretation, and held worthless, insignificant particles and external performances. His mouth spoke words full of disrespect for men, for he loved nobody but himself, and turned at all times around his own person, glorifying himself. He was selfish even in prayer, though he came to pray with good intent, but his subconscious was full of selfishness that he forgot God. And when he had uttered his first words in the beginning of his prayer, he stood up proudly and boastfully like a turkey, moving some steps away from the other prayers, and began to pray to God using low words according to the principles of the rites, "God, I thank you". It is certainly fit to glorify God for his being and blessed works. Would that our life becomes entirely thankfulness for his salvation. But that Pharisee, full of himself and his own goodness, began to mention his good deeds before the Omniscient, making clear his fat "I", becoming higher than the others whom he despised, condemned, and called extortioners, unjust, adulterers, and disreputable, as he had experienced them several times in his life. He did not find in himself any stain of a sin, but praised his uprightness apparent first in keeping the law.
He fasted twice a week (Tuesday and Friday), in addition to the once-a-year-fasting required in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 16:29). All the Pharisees made more a matter of merit of such supererogatory performance, because it was voluntary, and therefore they expected the righteousness of God to come down forcibly on him. His worship was not only theoretical but also included his money. He tithed not only his land and livestock, according to the rites of the law, but also all his possessions, even the smallest matters for the support the service of the Levites in the temple of the Lord. He stood before the Holy One giving him the account memorized from the lists of his virtues with all self-esteem and arrogance, as if he expected God to say to him admiringly: "Well done, smart, righteous, great one, and worthy of paradise." Yet if we look in fact, we will see that this prayer did not praise God in his prayer but praised himself, and therefore his prayer became blasphemy against the merciful Creator.
While this Pharisee prayed apart from the other prayers in the temple, a deceitful tax collector also stood away from the multitudes. He was ashamed of himself for he knew that all those present looked scornfully upon him and condemned him. They were right, for he was humbled himself and showed humility in his prayer. Not daring to call God, he smote upon his breast feeling sorry for his evil work, and confessing his wicked heart. This man bent brokenly before God. He experienced the nearness of the Holy One within his conscience, and almost melted away from his evil deeds.
Thank God for the corrupt one remembered the name of his true God, and prayed to the Holy Trinity, believing that the only God is in three persons. He did not say: "O God", but: "Elohim," (which is ordinarily translated "God") convinced that the Holy Trinity would hear his shy words, and not reject him or justly consume him. As such the wicked one held fast to grace seeking mercy, for he could never produce good deeds, nor did he find in himself the strength to give promises to reform himself or to practice such reformation and repentance. In holding fast the mercy of God, he muttered the incredible word, "God be merciful to me a sinner." He did not say, ".. me one of the sinners", as most of the people say, but, ".. Be merciful to me a sinner and corrupt more than everyone, worthy of death and immediate extermination."
He who confessed his condition did not lose hope, but put himself into the hands of God, trusting his eternal grace and taking firm hold of his true love. Then Jesus said, delighted in him: "This repentant was justified. He experienced in his heart the comfort of the Holy Spirit, for the generous God answered his prayer and forgave him his sin completely.
This parable became a tangible explanation of the Pauline theology of justification, with which Luke, as a student of Paul, was quite familiar. It is to be mentioned that Luke was the only evangelist who recorded this parable, to clarify to us the justification of the brokenhearted and the grace poured out on the repentant without particular works. Keep the essence of this story in your heart.
The Pharisee continued in his arrogance and cheated himself, for his own righteousness was useless. At the revelation of the kingdom of God he will appear small, unjust, and avoided down, while God will raise the sincere repentant, humble sinner to his level, having answered his prayers, and cleansed him from all sins with the high-priced, precious blood of Christ.
Thus Jesus teaches us how to make our stand and attitude in prayer that we may not pray haughtily, convinced with our own godliness, but trust in the cross alone, living from God alone.