Luke 18:13

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. AND THE PUBLICAN, STANDING AFAR OFF - as unworthy to draw near; but that was the way to get near (Psalms 34:18; Isaiah 57:15), WOULD NOT LIFT UP SO MUCH AS HIS EYES UNTO HEAVEN - "blushing and ashamed" to do so (Ezra 9:6), BUT SMOTE, [ etupte (G5180 ) RATHER, 'KEPT SMITING'] UPON HIS BREAST - for anguish ...

13._The publican standing at a distance. _Here Christ did not intend to lay down a general rule, as if it were necessary, whenever we pray, to cast down our eyes to the ground. He merely describes the tokens of humility, which alone he recommends to his disciples. Now humility lies in not refusing to acknowledge our sins, but condemning ourselves, and thus anticipating the judgment of God; and, with the view of being reconciled to God, in making an honest confession of guilt. Such, too, is the cause of that shame which always accompanies repentance; for Christ insists chiefly on this point, that _the publican _sincerely acknowledged himself to be miserable and lost, and fled to the mercy of God. Though he is a sinner, he trusts to a free pardon, and hopes that God will be gracious to him. In a word, in order to obtain favor, he owns that he does not deserve it. And, certainly, since it i...

9-14 This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who come short of the righteousness of this Pharisee, yet he was not accepted; and why not? He went up to the temple to pray, but was full of himself and his own goodness; the favour and grace of God he did not think worth asking. Let us beware of presenting proud devotions to the Lord, and of despising others. The publican's address to God was full of humility, and of repentance for sin, and desire toward God. His prayer was short, but to the purpose; God be merciful to me a sinner. Blesse...

Verse Luke 18:13. _THE PUBLICAN, STANDING AFAR OFF_] Not because he was a _heathen_, and dared not approach the _holy place_; (for it is likely he was a _Jew_;) but because he was a _true penitent_, and felt himself utterly unworthy to appear before God. _WOULD NOT LIFT UP _- his _eyes_] Holding down the head, with the eyes fixed upon the earth, was, 1. A sign of deep distress. 2. Of a consciousness and confession of guilt. And, 3. It was the very _posture_ that the Jewish rabbins required in those who prayed to God. See Ezra 9:6; and _Mishna_, in _Berachoth_, chap. v.; and _Kypke's_ note here. So the Pharisee appears to have forgotten one of his own precepts. But smote upon his breast

STANDING AFAR OFF - Afar off from the “temple.” The place where prayer was offered in the temple was the court of women. The Pharisee advanced to the side of the court nearest to the temple, or near as he could; the publican stood on the other side of the same court if he was a Jew, or in the court of the Gentiles if he was a pagan, as far as possible from the temple, being conscious of his unworthiness to approach the sacred place where God had his holy habitation. SO MUCH AS HIS EYES ... - Conscious of his guilt. He felt that he was a sinner, and shame and sorrow prevented his looking up. Men who are conscious of guilt always fix their eyes on the ground. SMOTE UPON HIS BREAST - An expression of grief and anguish in view of his sins. It is a sign of grief among almost all nations. GOD BE MERCIFUL ... - The prayer o

EXPOSITION LUKE 18:1 _The Lord speaks the two parables on prayer_—_the importunate widow, and the Pharisee and publican._ LUKE 18:1 AND HE SPAKE A PARABLE UNTO THEM TO THIS END, THAT MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, AND NOT TO FAINT. The formnla ἕλεγε δὲ καί, literally, "and he spake also," calls attention to the fact that the parable-teaching immediately to follow was a continuation of what had preceded. Indeed, the connection between the first of the two parables, which urges restless continued prayer, and the picture which the Lord had just drawn of men's state of utter forgetfulness of God, is obvious. "The Son of man has been rejected; he has gone from view; the masses are plunged in gross worldliness; men of God are

AND THE PUBLICAN STANDING AFAR OFF,.... Not at the outermost porch, or at the door: for "a man might not fix his place at the door of the synagogue, but, ירחיק, "he must go afar off", the space of two doors, and then pray r;'' it may be in the court of the Gentiles, when the Pharisee was in the court of the Israelites; at least he was afar off from him: and indeed, those who came to humble themselves before the Lord, and confess their sins, were obliged to stand at the distance of four cubits one from another, that one might not hear the prayers and confessions of the other s: and it might be, that this poor man might stand at a greater distance than was required, that he might not displease the Pharisee, who, he knew, would resent it, should he stand near him; or rather this was done, to testify the sense he had of his state and condition, and of his unworthiness; as that he was afar...

Luke 18:1. _And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;_ An old writer says that many of Christ's parables need a key to unlock them. Here, the key hangs outside the door; for, at the very beginning of the parable we are told what Christ meant to teach by it: «that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.» And this is the parable: Luke 18:2. _Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:_ It is a great pity for any city and for any country where the judges do not fear God, where they feel that they have been put into a high office in which they may do just as they please. There were such judges in the olden times even in this land; God grant that we may not see any more like them!...

MERCIFUL Greek, "hilaskomai", used in the Septuagint and New Testament in connection with the mercy-seat (Exodus 25:17); (Exodus 25:18); (Exodus 25:21); (Hebrews 9:5). As an instructed Jew, the publican is thinking, not of mere mercy, but of the blood-sprinkled mercy seat. (_ See Scofield) - (Leviticus 16:5). _ "Propitiation," (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:25). _ His prayer might be paraphrased, "Be toward me as thou

CHAPTER 18 _ 1. The Unjust Judge and the Avenging of His Elect. (Luke 18:1)_ 2. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. (Luke 18:9) 3. The Little Children and the Required Lowliness. (Luke 18:15) 4. The Rich Young Ruler. (Luke 18:18) 5. Rewards Promised. (Luke 18:28) 6. The Renewed Prediction of His Suffering, Death and Resurrection. (Luke 18:31) 7. The Blind Man near Jericho Healed. ...