Having A Contrite Heart

ONE OF THE CHURCH’S ANCIENT LITURGIES IS WHEN THE PRIEST STARTED MASS WITH THE PRAYER “LORD, YOU WERE SENT TO HEAL THE CONTRITE OF HEART.” THE RESPONSE OF THE PEOPLE WAS TO SAY, “LORD, HAVE MERCY.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A CONTRITE HEART AND TO SEEK GOD’S MERCY? TO HAVE A CONTRITE HEART MEANS WE ARE SINCERELY SORROWFUL, HUMBLE, AND REMORSEFUL FOR ONE'S SINS, WITH A DEEP DESIRE TO REPENT AND BE RECONCILED WITH GOD.

WE HAVE A CONTRITE HEART WHEN WE CONFESS OUR OWN SINFULNESS AND, IN HUMBLENESS, ASK FOR GOD'S MERCY AND FORGIVENESS. WE CONTNUE STRIVING TOWARDS PERFECTION, BY LIVING SANCTIFIED TO PLEASE GOD IN HOLINESS OF HEART AND LIFE.

WE DIE TO SELF, PICK UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW JESUS. WE OBEY JESUS BY LIVING OUT HIS COMMAND TO GO, MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE, AND TO TEACH OTHERS ALL THAT HE COMMANDED US.

THIS IS WHY PAUL TAUGHT US “NOT TO BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD,” BUT TO BE TRANSFORMED, SO THAT WE, AS HE LATER SAID IN ROMANS 12:3, “…[WON’T] THINK [WE] ARE BETTER THAN [WE]REALLY ARE. BE HONEST IN [OUR] EVALUATION OF [OURSELVES], MEASURING [OURSELVES] BY THE FAITH GOD HAS GIVEN US.”

GOD CREATED US IN HIS IMAGE WHICH MAKES US ALL EQUAL IN WORTH AND VALUE. WHEN WE EVALUATE OURSELVES, WE KNOW WE ARE NOT GREATER OR LESS THAN ANY OTHER PERSON. WE CAN BE ASSURED OF BEING UNCONDITIONALLY LOVED BY GOD.

THAT IS WHY THE WORDS OF PETER ARE VALUABLE TO US TODAY IN ACTS 10:34-35, “I SEE VERY CLEARLY THAT GOD SHOWS NO FAVORITISM. IN EVERY NATION HE ACCEPTS THOSE WHO FEAR HIM AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT.” WE ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.

IF WE ARE HUMBLE, AS THE TAX COLLECTOR, WE WILL ALREADY KNOW THAT WE ARE SINNERS AND NEED TO BE GRATEFUL FOR GOD’S MERCY. 1 PETER 5:5-6, “AND ALL OF YOU, DRESS YOURSELVES IN HUMILITY AS YOU RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER, FOR ‘GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’ SO HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD, AND AT THE RIGHT TIME HE WILL LIFT YOU UP IN HONOR.”

THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND TAX COLLECTOR SHOWS US THAT FORGIVENESS DID NOT COME TO THE PROUD AND SELF-RIGHTEOUS PHARISEE, WHO THINKS THAT HIS GOOD DEEDS, WORKS, AND SERVIC HAVE EARNED HIM A RIGHT STANDING BEFORE GOD, BUT TO THE TAX COLLECTOR, WHO FULLY CONFESSED HIS SINFULNESS AND PRAYS FOR NOTHING MORE THAN GOD’S MERCY.

THIS PARABLE REMINDS US NOT TO BE OVERCONFIDENT IN GAUGING OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE MUST GUARD AGAINST TRUSTING IN OUR OWN ABILITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHILE VIEWING OTHERS IN JUDGMENT AND CONTEMPT.

THE PHARISEE SEEMS TO COME BEFORE GOD BOLDLY, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. THE GREEK PHRASE “THE PHARISEE STOOD AND PRAYED” MEANS HE ACTUALLY WENT UP TO A PROMINENT LOCATION IN THE FRONT OF THE TEMPLE. IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO BE SEEN AND HEARD BY OTHERS THAN BY GOD, HIMSELF!

THE PHARISEE BEGINS WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE A PRAISE PSALM: "I THANK YOU, GOD." THIS TYPE OF PSALM, THE PETITIONER, IS HEARD USUALLY THANKING GOD FOR SOMETHING GOD HAS DONE OR FOR SOME BLESSING THAT GOD HAS PROVIDED.

BUT THIS PHARISEE GOES IN A DIFFERENNT DIRECTION. HE IS NOT ONLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL HIS OWN GOOD QUALITIES THAT HELPS HIM TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIS RELIGIOUS DUTIES, BUT THAT HE HAS REMAINED LEGALLY AND RITUALLY PURE.

HE GOES AS FAR AS TO BRAG ABOUT HOW HE HONORS GOD BY FASTING VOLUNTARILY TWICE A WEEK AND BY TITHING. WHAT HE IS ACCTUALLY SAYING IS THAT HE GOES “ABOVE AND BEYOND” DOING MORE THAN THE BARE MINIMIMUM OF WHAT IS REQUIRED OF HIM.

BUT LITTLE DID HE REALIZE THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY SAYING, "I THANK YOU GOD, THAT I AM SO GREAT!" THIS IS A PRAYER THAT IMPLIES THAT GOD SHOULD BE HONORED TO HAVE HIM ON HIS SIDE.

HE IS LITERALLY MAKING HIMSELF THE MAJOR SUBJECT OF HIS OWN PRAYER! SO, REALLY, THIS DOESN’T DESERVE TO EVEN BE CALLED A PRAYER BECAUSE IT IS MORE LIKE A EULOGY!

THE TAX COLLECTOR, ON THE OTHER HAND, STANDS AT A DISTANCE AND DOESN’T EVEN COME INTO THE TEMPLE. HE CAN’T EVEN LOOK UP TO HEAVEN, BUT SIMPLY BEATS HIS CHEST (SIGN FOR MOURNING) AND PRAYS "GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER."

THE LITERAL TRANSLATION MEANS“THE” SINNER AND NOT JUST “A” SINNER. WHAT THIS SHOWS US IS THAT HE WAS DEEPLY AWARE AND CONSCIOUS OF HIS SINS, THAT HE HAD NOTHING TO SAY IN HIS FAVOR, AND WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE SENSE OF HIS OWN UNWORTHINESS. HIS ONE, AND ONLY PLEA, WAS FOR GOD’S MERCY.

HIS REQUEST FOR MERCY USES A GREEK FORM OF THE HEBREW WORD MEANING "TO COVER." BY USING THIS FORM OF THE WORD HE IS SINCERELY CONFESSING THAT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING HE CAN DO TO EARN GOD'S FORGIVENESS. THE TAX COLLECTOR SIMPLY MAKES AN APPEAL FOR GOD'S FORGIVING COMPASSION. HE COMES INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD DESIRING ONLY TO IMPROVE AND DEEPEN HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.