The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke 18:9-14;

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Here we find 2 different men, praying 2 different prayers, and getting 2 differing results. One was saved that day and the other was not.

Either could have qualified to be saved, but only 1 did. There are numerous examples in Scripture of both Pharisees and Publicans that were saved.  Either could have had the ‘right answer’, but only 1 did. So what made the difference?

The Pharisees’ prayer was all about himself.

v. 11-12 He acts holy and like he’s thanking God, but really he’s praising himself. He’s saying, “God, you must really like me because I don’t drink, smoke, or chew, or kiss the girls that do!”

We all want to feel good about ourselves, but the Bible says to let another praise you, and not to praise yourself. This man lifted up his own righteousness and good works, and it is clear that he is trusting in himself for his salvation. If he was to make it to heaven on his own merit, I guess he would get the credit and be able to sing “How Great I Am” for all eternity.

The Publican’s prayer did the opposite. He recognized himself as a sinner and realized his only hope for heaven was not in anything about himself but only in God and His mercy.

So, how about you? Is your answer about good that you have done or about Jesus and what He did for you on the cross at Calvary?  It’s very important at this point that we all be transparent as we think about our answer. I beg you, make sure your goal is to be right, not to ‘have been right’ all along. Be correctable.

v. 14b Don’t try to convince yourself that you are saved…ask God to convince you by the facts, or to convict you if you are not. Humble yourself! God forbid that your answer be about you being a good person. How good is good enough? The devil’s most successful lie is one that says that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. Nothing could be further from the truth!