You Are in God’s Review! Stand at Attention!
However the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes up to heaven, but was beating his chest and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Luke 18:13
This past January 20, 2025, part of the protocol of the new president on the inauguration day was to inspect the troops of all branches of the military. I watched this review by President Trump. It was impressive. Every soldier stood at attention, every button, shoe polished, every uniform had perfect creases, clean. Like I said, it was very impressive.
What if the Holy and Perfect God came today to inspected you and me? Not just to review our clothing but everything inside of us, our very thoughts, actions, and deeds. Would we pass the inspection? Would everything in our life be perfect?
Would we say with the Pharisee in the story that Jesus told ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of all my income.’
This man thought like many think today, that they can pass the inspection of our Holy God. This man felt he did not need forgiveness; that he was righteous in God’s eyes; that he was better than other people; that he did not need a Savior.
I do not know about you, but I know I cannot stand before my righteous God and say what the Pharisee said, I have to say with the tax collector, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
Will God be merciful to us? Will God after he has inspected us, except us?
We have just begun the Lenten Season of the Church year. I encourage you to attend the midweek Lenten services this year. You will be blessed as you again hear what Jesus did so that you can be sure that every one of your sins are forgiven, that you can go home like the tax collector, justified.
God is merciful to us because Jesus took our place and paid for every one of our sins that we committed in thought, word and deed. Knowing that we have been justified, may we live a life that praises and thanks our loving Savior every day.
We Pray a Prayer of Martin Luther: Lord Jesus, You are my righteousness, I am your sin. You took on you what was mine; yet set on me what was yours. You became what you were not, that I might become what I was not. Amen.