The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is told by Jesus in Luke 18:9-14. It’s a story that contrasts two different attitudes in prayer and highlights the importance of humility before God. Here is a summary of the parable:
There were two men who went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisees were a religious group who strictly followed the law and traditions of Judaism. Tax collectors were seen as traitors who worked for the Roman empire.
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed like this: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” His prayer was filled with pride and self-righteousness as he compared himself favorably to others.
In contrast, the tax collector stood at a distance, wouldn’t even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” His prayer was humble, honest, and demonstrated his need for God’s grace.
Jesus said that it was the tax collector who went home justified before God, rather than the Pharisee. God hears the prayers of the humble, but rejects the proud. The moral of this story is that we should not trust in our own righteousness or look down on others. We all need God’s mercy and should approach Him with humility and repentance.
To properly understand this parable, we need to examine the context, characters, contrasts, and main lessons.
Context of the Parable
Luke 18:9 tells us that Jesus gave this parable to those who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on others. Jesus often clashed with the Pharisees who strictly followed religious rules but lacked love and mercy. This parable speaks against self-righteousness and pride.
This parable is part of Jesus’ teaching in the later part of his ministry as he is journeying towards Jerusalem. He has been warning his disciples of his coming death and resurrection. The parables in this section deal with persistence in prayer, end times, humility, repentance, justice, faith, and sacrifice.
The Pharisee and the tax collector parable illustrates that God desires humility and contrition rather than arrogance and hypocrisy. It complements other teachings of Jesus on the same theme, such as the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the perils of judging others.
Characters in the Parable
There are only two characters in this story – the Pharisee and the tax collector. They represent two very different attitudes:
**The Pharisee**
The Pharisees were influential religious leaders who strictly adhered to the Law of Moses and additional oral traditions. They focused on outward religious observances like tithing, fasting, rituals, and Sabbath keeping. Many were self-righteous and hypocritical – appearing holy on the outside but full of greed and wickedness within. They looked down on those they considered ‘sinners’ (Luke 7:39, 15:2).
In this parable, the Pharisee’s prayer demonstrates his arrogance and self-righteousness:
– He stands alone, aloof from others at the temple
– Thanks God that he is superior to robbers, evil people, and even the tax collector praying nearby
– States how he fasts and tithes faithfully
– His focus is on himself and his moral achievements rather than God
**The Tax Collector**
Tax collectors were ostracized as traitors working for the Roman Empire. They gained a bad reputation for charging exorbitant amounts and skimming extra money for themselves. Jews despised them alongside other ‘sinners’ like prostitutes and the irreligious.
The tax collector’s prayer shows his humility and repentance:
– He stands far off, not feeling worthy to draw close to God
– Beats his breast as a sign of sorrow over his sins
– Asks for God’s mercy rather than listing his own virtues
– His focus is wholly on God rather than himself
This despised sinner shows the right attitude – recognizing his unworthiness before a holy God.
Contrasts in the Parable
Jesus uses this parable to highlight the stark contrast between improper pride and true humility:
**Pride versus Humility**
The Pharisee’s proud prayer is all about himself – how he is better than others and how he has lived such a righteous life. The tax collector humbly admits his sinfulness and seeks mercy.
**Self-Righteousness versus Repentance**
The Pharisee demonstrates an attitude of self-righteousness, trusting in his own good works. The tax collector shows true repentance, recognizing his need for forgiveness.
**Judgment versus Mercy**
While looking down on others, the Pharisee is unaware of his own shortcomings. The tax collector pleads for the mercy he needs, rather than judging others.
**Appearances versus Reality**
Outwardly the Pharisee follows all the religious rules, but his heart is full of pride. The humble tax collector may not keep all the rules but has a contrite heart.
**Independence versus Dependence**
The Pharisee acts as if he doesn’t need God’s help, listing his own virtues. The tax collector depends fully on God’s mercy, not himself.
This parable uses extreme examples to vividly demonstrate that God sees our hearts, not just outward acts. The humble repentant heart matters more than proud religion.
Main Lessons from the Parable
This powerful story teaches vital truths about prayer, pride, humility, and justification:
**1. Don’t trust in yourself** – We should not think we are better than others or rely on our own goodness. Comparing ourselves to those we deem ‘worse’ reveals ugly pride. We all fall short of God’s standards (Romans 3:23).
**2. Approach God with humility** – When we pray, our attitude should be like the tax collector – humble, dependent, admitting our sins. We cannot earn salvation by our good deeds. It is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).
**3. Repentance leads to justification** – Though the tax collector was despised by others, Jesus says he was declared righteous by God for his repentant faith. God graciously forgives the humble.
**4. God sees the heart** – People look at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Religious deeds impress men, but a contrite heart impresses God.
**5. Don’t judge others** – Like the Pharisee, we often fixate on the sins of others. But we are all sinners saved by grace. We should not feel superior to others.
**6. Avoid self-righteousness** – It is easy to feel like we are more holy than others because we faithfully serve God. But we must guard against spiritual pride. Even good deeds can be done from wrong motives.
**7. Cultivate humility** – God blesses the humble but opposes the proud (James 4:6). As we grow in Christ, we should become more aware of our flaws and more grateful for God’s mercy.
This parable provides a vital reminder that we cannot earn salvation by being good – it is received only through God’s grace. Approaching God with humility and repentance matters more than outward acts of righteousness. Our position before God is based on Christ’s work, not our own goodness.
Later Examples of Pharisees in the New Testament
The contrast between the arrogant Pharisee and humble tax collector reflects the ongoing conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded in the Gospels. Here are some other notable examples:
**Luke 11:37-54** – Jesus pronounces woes on the Pharisees for cleansing the outside of dishes while inwardly being greedy and wicked. He condemns them for loading burdens onto others without lifting a finger themselves.
**Luke 15:1-2** – The Pharisees grumble that Jesus welcomes and eats with tax collectors and sinners. But Jesus says he pursues the lost.
**Luke 19:37-44** – When people praise Jesus’s miracles, the Pharisees tell him to rebuke them. But Jesus says if the crowd is silent, the very stones will cry out.
**John 8:2-11** – The Pharisees drag a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, wanting to stone her. But Jesus silences them by saying “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
**Matthew 23:1-36** – Jesus publicly condemns the Pharisees as hypocrites who do not practice what they preach. He declares woes on them for their self-righteousness.
Time after time, the Gospels portray the Pharisees opposing Jesus and rejecting his message. They serve as examples of misplaced zeal without love, empty religion devoid of grace. Jesus taught that faith should transform one’s heart motivations and attitudes, not just external behavior.
Later Examples of Tax Collectors in the New Testament
In contrast to the antagonism from Pharisees, Jesus showed love towards tax collectors and extended grace to them. Tax collectors responded positively to Jesus in many cases:
**Luke 15:1** – Tax collectors drew near to Jesus to hear his teaching, unlike the critical Pharisees.
**Luke 19:1-10** – Jesus stays at the house of Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector. He declares salvation has come to Zacchaeus for his repentant faith.
**Matthew 9:9-13** – Jesus calls Matthew from his tax collection booth to become a disciple. Jesus is criticized for eating at Matthew’s house with other tax collectors.
**Luke 7:29** – After hearing Jesus, the tax collectors acknowledged God’s justice, unlike the Pharisees who rejected him.
**Luke 3:12-13** – Some tax collectors come to be baptized by John the Baptist, asking what they should do to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
**Luke 18:10** – In the temple, the tax collector prays with humility, rather than like the proud Pharisee.
The examples of repentant tax collectors like Zacchaeus and Matthew demonstrate that Jesus came to save sinners. He welcomed those looked down upon by religious leaders. This parable reveals that it is the penitent heart that receives salvation, more than external self-righteousness.
Applying the Parable Today
The main lesson of humility versus pride is very relevant for believers today. We often struggle with the same tendencies that characterized the Pharisee:
– Looking down on others we consider greater ‘sinners’ than ourselves
– Trusting in our good works and spiritual disciplines rather than God’s grace
– Focusing more on externals like church attendance and rules rather than inward change
– Feeling superior to other Christians with different traditions or doctrines than ours
– Being quick to see faults in others while ignoring our own
– Thanking God that we are not like other people
This parable reminds us that we all approach God on the basis of his mercy alone. No amount of rule-keeping or moral achievement makes us worthy of salvation. We are justified by God’s grace through faith (Romans 3:21-26).
Some applications for believers include:
– Examine our own hearts – do we look down on other groups of people or think ourselves more ‘righteous’?
– Be wary of spiritual pride that thinks it has ‘arrived’ and no longer needs growth
– Avoid thinking in terms of ‘big sinners’ and ‘little sinners’ – we all need equal grace
– Focus more on our own shortcomings than criticizing faults in others
– Pray with humility, repentance, and gratitude – like the tax collector
– Remember that only Christ’s righteousness makes us acceptable to God
– Extend grace to others, since we all depend solely on God’s mercy
This parable shows that God desires sincere humility more than outward religious righteousness. May we demonstrate repentant hearts rather than prideful religion.