The Pharisee and Tax Collector
Humble confession pleases God more than proud religious performance.
Two men pray in the temple. The Pharisee thanks God he is not like sinners, listing his religious achievements. The tax collector cannot even lift his eyes, beating his breast and pleading for mercy. Jesus declares the tax collector goes home justified, not the Pharisee. Self-righteous comparison blinds us to our need for grace. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. This parable exposes religious pride that uses piety for self-elevation rather than genuine communion with God. Justification comes through honest confession, not impressive credentials.
God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.
Martin Luther recognized himself in the tax collector's prayer, which became foundational for Protestant understanding of justification by grace through faith.
Gospel of Luke
Written about in
- What Christianity says about humility
Two men pray. One lists what he has done well; the other cannot lift his eyes and asks for mercy. Jesus says the second goes home right with God, which is the opposite of the expected result.
- What Christianity says about starting again after a fall
Two men pray. The one who cannot lift his eyes goes home justified; the one with the record does not. Luther recognised himself in the tax collector's prayer. The practical instruction is that an honest account of the fall is the entry requirement, and a good track record is not.