In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit If an earthly gift brings joy, consider our heavenly Father’s gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus takes on flesh to give us the gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. When Jesus walked among men as a […]

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit You might think it’s the Pharisee’s prayer that does not justify him. He thanks God that he is not like the rest of men: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this tax collector. If you were to look at prayers […]

The following observations are drawn from Beale & Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007). 1. The phrase in 18:9 “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt” echoes the language of Ezekiel 33:13, in which the prophet criticizes his […]

Most times I’ve heard the words of the Pharisee in the lection for Trinity 11 rendered, “I thank you that I am not like other men.” That’s good as far as it goes but it doesn’t go far enough.  The text actually reads, “I thank you that I am not like the rest of men.” […]

Pius Parsch, “The Church’s Year of Grace” Humility is the liturgy’s principal lesson; humility, the signpost infallibly pointing the way to the kingdom of God…. “A proud saint is a devil, a humble sinner is a saint.” (4:107) The parable is a resume’ of the whole story of God’s dealing with men, and it also […]