“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 KJV
The tax collector stood alone in a corner, away from the Holy Place, and covered his face in his hands, feeling that he was unworthy even to look up to God. Beating his breast, he sobbed with brokenness and tears saying, ‘God, please, in your mercy and because of the blood sacrifice, forgive me, for I am nothing but the most miserable of all sinners!’ The publican was in the temple toward the mercy seat when he truly repented and smote his breast as if he was saying to God, “Look at me as You look at the blood-sprinkled mercy seat.” The same word ‘smote’ was a violent term written of Jesus as He was scourged before He went for His crucifixion, “And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and smote Him”. The mercy seat was the place of transference of sin for forgiveness, of reconciliation between God and His people. As long as the blood was there on the mercy seat, God saw only the blood and accepted the people. As Jesus bore mankind’s sins on the Cross, God saw only the Blood of Jesus, and forgave. Only God sees the true repentance from the heart. Let’s learn to truly repent and receive mercy and grace for the forgiveness of our sins. Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment