And our Lord turned to those who were listening to Him and said, "I tell you, this Publican went down to his house justified, rather than the other."
Do you wonder what it is to be justified? Should we not all like, when we have been naughty, or have done wrong, to know that we may go down, like the Publican did to his house, justified?
It means, I think, for a person to realise that some one greater and richer than himself has undertaken to set him free from his debt.
It means that we have come to God and told Him that we are very sorry we have been naughty, and have asked Him to have mercy upon us, and to forgive us for Jesus' sake.
When we have done that, we may, indeed, like the Publican, go away "justified."
Perhaps some boy gets into trouble at school, and owes something to another boy, which he has no means of paying.
So the boy who owes the money goes to his father. He knows he has done wrong, but he tells his father all about it, and asks him to help him. And the loving father sees to it all for him, and pays the debt.
The school-fellows know nothing about this, but they have heard about the debt, and they whisper to each other, and jeer when the boy comes near.
But to their surprise, he raises his head now! "My father has paid," he says, with shining eyes.
I think that is being "justified."