Luke 18:9-14
9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Two Types of Prayers
A Pharisee’s prayer
A Pharisee and a tax collector went up to the temple to pray. Even today, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, many Jews can be seen praying. Among them, the most noticeable are the Orthodox Jews dressed in black clothing. In the time of Jesus, they would correspond to the devout Jews of the Pharisaic tradition. Let us focus on the prayer of the Pharisee. There was no falsehood in his prayer. (1) First, he gave thanks that he did not live like the tax collector or other sinners. (2) Next, he gave thanks that he was doing more than what the Law required. The Law commanded fasting once a year on the Day of Atonement, but he fasted twice a week. Also, the Law required tithing from the produce of the land (Deut.14:22), but he gave tithes even from the herbs growing in his own garden. So then, what was wrong with this Pharisee? He had boarded the wrong train. The train he was on was the route of self-righteousness, not the route of God’s grace. But such a prayer is not exclusive to the Pharisee. It could just as easily be ours. If there is anything in us that says, “I thank You that I am not like this Pharisee,” then we, too, may be on the wrong track.
A tax collector’s prayer
In the tax collector’s prayer, deep repentance is expressed. (1) He stood at a distance. (2) He was unwilling to lift his eyes toward heaven. At that time, it was common for Jews to pray with their eyes lifted toward heaven. (3) He kept beating his chest. Grammatically, it is clear that this was a continuous action. (4) He knew that the only path left to him was to cling to God’s mercy. The conclusion of this parable is that it was not the Pharisee, but the tax collector who was declared righteous. This aligns with the doctrine taught by the Apostle Paul: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:23-24). How does this parable change your prayer life? How does it change your understanding of God’s love? And how does it change your testimony?
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, please guide me so that I may confirm each day that I am on the right path that leads to heaven. I thank You for Your love, which far surpasses all human understanding. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.