Human presumption and Divine mercy
Luke 18:9-14 I love this story. It is the story that I go back to time and time again It warns me against the presumption that leads to arrogance and lack of love. It tells me of my God who has mercy. 1 It warns us against presumption The first character is the Pharisee. He had status and respect in the community. He was a good man. And it is important that we do not forget that he had made some life-style decisions which cost him significantly. He fasts twice a week (much more than the law requires). He tithed. He gave away a tenth of everything that he had. Just think for a moment what that would mean for your giving? Everything you receive, you give one tenth away. And when he says that he is not a robber, or an evildoer or an adulterer, we can take him at his word. He was upright, obedient to the law of God and self-controlled. And remember that Jesus said in Matthew, that unless our righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees we could not be But what we also see is that