August 17, 2026
Forgiven - Part 1
Luke 18:9-10
08/17/2026
9 [Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted
in themselves that they were righteous, and
treated others with contempt:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a
Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (ESV)
The prayer of the week both confesses God's grace and mercy,
while confessing our unworthiness because of our sin and
rebellion.
Almighty and everlasting God, always more ready to hear
than we to pray and to give more than we either desire
or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your
mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience
is afraid and giving us those good things that we are
not worthy to ask, except through the merits and
mediation of Christ, our Lord; who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
What we deserve is God's eternal wrath and punishment. What
we receive is everything we need to support this body and life.
What we receive is the forgiveness of our sins for the sake of
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The text this week, the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax
Collector, reinforces our understanding of God's great mercy.
[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and treated others
with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
We will learn that God offers us the forgiveness of our
sins, not because of our works, but because of His love. The
person who is holy in the sight of his neighbors may not be the
one who receives full pardon for his transgressions.
May our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him for our
salvation. Amen.