Sun. Oct. 24, 2010 (Kevin Hiebert)

Kevin Hiebert used a parable (the Pharisee and the tax collector) and the awe-inspiring miracles of the known universe to encourage us to be humble in our attitude towards God. The Pharisees thought themselves to be beyond reproach, and made a big show of their fasting and prayer so they would be noticed. As religious teachers the Pharisees were rigid and unforgiving. Thievery would have been the sin of the tax collector: artificially inflating the value of the goods. Jesus used this parable to highlight the contrast between the arrogant and prideful who will not be saved by their heartless deeds, and those who admit their failures in true humility and are rewarded with forgiveness. The hymn “How Wondrous Great” provides a sense of humility and praise for God’s incredible creation in the heavens. The connection between our awe-inspiring universe and a deep call to repent is a common theme in biblical poetry. Our response to “fearful and glorious things” should be to praise God. We would do well to recall the publican’s prayer: Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. (HN) Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, October 24th, 2010 using your browser's preferred media player.