Day 4 - Lord, Have Mercy on Me a Sinner
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
- Put yourself into the story. Who am I? The tax collector or the Pharisee? Let it speak to you.
- Try to record how you react, your feelings, imaginings and prayers.
- Take between five and ten minutes to read and reread the story.
Now, as you bring your meditation to a close, write down your reflections, thoughts and prayers.