Sin a Personal Affront to God
Bishop Huntington. Luke 18:9-14 And he spoke this parable to certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:… Sin is a personal affront, whose bitter consequences only the forgiveness of God Himself can remove, and toward which, with the publican, we must implore Him to be merciful. It does not read, "Nature be merciful," nor "Laws of my constitution be merciful," nor "Society be merciful," nor, "I will be merciful to myself," but, "God be merciful;" — nor yet, "God be merciful to sin in general," but "to me a sinner." (Bishop Huntington.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: WEB: He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.