Two Men Prayed
Two men prayed in the long ago,
Two men, much like the men we know:
One man prayed with his head held high,
With a square-set jaw and a tearless eye;
Convinced that his was a righteous cause,
He thanked the Lord for the man he was.
So, satisfied, he turned away,
The self-same man who had paused to pray.
The second prayed, his head bent low:
Heavy his heart, and full of woe.
He smote his breast as he spoke this word:
“Be merciful to a sinner, Lord.”
And God, who delights to forgive and bless,
Credited him with righteousness.
A guilty sinner, he paused to pray;
A justified saint he walked away.
Two men prayed in the long ago,
Two men, much like the men we know;
Two men facing eternity;
Which is like you? Which is like me?