The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican

In Luke 18, Jesus talked about two men who went to pray in the temple.

"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

"I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

"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.

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 18: 9-14)

The Pharisee thanked God that he was better than other men, that he tithed a tenth of everything, that he did not steal, that he was better than the Publican praying off the side.

The Publican, on the other hand, would not even look to heaven, but beat his chest, crying out, "Have mercy on me, a sinner."

Most people think that the Publican was "justified" because he pleaded and cried, because he gave a performance of contrition. On the country, the Publican was justified because he recognized that a sacrifice has been made on his behalf, taking his judgment for him.

Luke 18:13 reads:

"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."

Here, "be merciful" renders the original verb ἱλάσκομαι
"hilaskomai": to be propitious, make propitiation.

The Publican's cry was not just for mercy, but for grace based on the propitiation for his sins. He sought a mediator, one who would cancel, forgive his sins, which Jesus Christ died when dying on the Cross. In no way does the Publican's display of pity, piety, or remorse qualify him for justification. Rather, the Publican asked that God would make a way for him to be forgiven.

ἱλάσκομαι is rich verb, one which scripturetext.com explicates more richly:

hilaskomai: to be propitious, make propitiation for
Original Word: ἱλάσκομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: hilaskomai
Phonetic Spelling: (hil-as'-kom-ahee)
Short Definition: I have mercy on, forgive
Definition: (a) I have mercy on, show favor to, (b) trans. with object of sins: I forgive, pardon.

Cognate: 2433 hiláskomai (akin to 2434 /hilasmós, "propitiation, appeasement/satisfaction of divine wrath on sin") – properly, to extend propitiation, showing mercy by satisfying (literally, propitiating) the wrath of God on sin; "to conciliate, appease, propitiate

The verb implies not simply overlooking one's sins, but providing a way for the wrath of God to be appeased for those sins.

So, believers today must understand that they are not forgiven their sins because they are sorry for what they have done, but only because of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ:

"And he is the propitiation (lit. hilasmos ἱλασμός) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)