On October 30 it’s 502 years since Luther posted his 95 theses which started all the ‘trouble’ with the church of Rome that eventually led to what is commonly known as the European Reformation of the Church (or Reformation for short, especially if you are Lutheran!). The depth and assurance of God’s grace was a fundamental insight that emerged from the Reformer’s work at this time.  It’s through the lens of God’s deep and assured grace that I will take a look at the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14).  In particular, it’s more our tendency to ‘look down on everybody else’ that illustrates grace arguably more than the mercy extended to the tax collector.  We certainly know how to confess our sin (the tax collector).  And we certainly know (although maybe not really always?) that we can have no confidence in our works.  But what about as Christians inside the church when we look down on others for the myriad of reasons we do?  Yes – even us – receive the grace of God as we confess it and trust God’s promises.