"Dependence Upon God"

If you could have anything in the world, what would it be? For me, I think it would be a large sailing ship, that could withstand the majority of the storms, and came equip with several years worth of supplies. Now, if you think about it, even the most thought out plan does not bring with it the guarantee of success; in fact, it will most likely need something or someone to help it along. As we look again at our two figures that Jesus gave in Luke 18:10, we can see the contrast in who they thought was in control, and at what ability they could yield anything worthy of being called righteousness. For the publican, who by very definition was one who reaped rewards off of the labors of others, had something going for him as he bowed before God for mercy; he was aware of his sin, and his need to be cleansed. While the Pharisee was so self righteous, and thought that he was so able to gaze up into heaven, as if to declare how wonderful that he was; thanking God for the righteousness that he has over others. When God says, "Come, let us reason together", He is meaning to examine our lives with and without Him; to place our life in the balances of a scale, and to make a determination of the value placed in what really matters. As we look at the Pharisee, the things that he placed most value in, were the things that looked best in the eyes of men; not having sins that were lived out, and doing things which could be witnessed as good. In so doing, he had counted these things as his righteousness, and worthy of being justified before God as having forgiveness, even though he had not acknowledge himself to be a sinner. The publican on the other hand, having reasoned with God, found himself to be lacking the ability to justify looking up towards heaven, or even approaching the alter. In other words, he had found his need to be great for God's forgiveness; and his ability to do anything to save himself was realized, as he smote his chest and cried out for mercy.