Luke 18: 9-17

 Luke 18: 9-17

In the prior passage Jesus teaches us that we do not pray because we are not desperate enough. In this passage we see that the motions of prayer are not enough. The main thrust of this parable is about humble repentance. Jesus saying that a Roman tax collector could be justified would have been shocking to His audience.

The contrasts in this parable are profound: the hyper-religious Pharisee contrasted with a social pariah of a tax collector, the reciting of good deeds contrasted with the self description of the tax collector as literally “the sinner”. Jesus contrast the story in such a way that these two are near perfect opposites. The results of their prayers were opposites as well.

Prayer presents us a special challenge and temptation. You can easily become a tool for the purpose of self-promotion or advancing our agenda. The Pharisee “prayed to himself” or perhaps about himself. Jesus makes no indication that the Pharisee was in any way being false in his self-description. He just wasn't talking to God so much as talking about himself. He sounded good, he followed the acceptable customs of prayer. He was in the right place, at the right time, saying the right things and for those around him he would have seemed right.

Prayer is at the same time the hardest part of the life of a disciple and the easiest part to fake. Memorize a few key phrases and words, learn the right delivery inflection and pauses,throw in a creative “in the name of”, and you can sound like a person of great prayer. But unless our prayer reaches for God's heart it reaches no further then our voice will carry. Prayers that are said to or about ourselves are better off not being said at all.. If we're reaching for God's heart the awkward, stumbling, messed up prayer is plenty good enough in fact it may be the best.

“Help me Lord, to pray with an honest heart that wants You above all else.  AMEN”