In brief
The Pharisee and the tax collector are not identified historical figures but the two characters of a parable Jesus tells in Luke 18:9-14. Jesus addresses it to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on others. Two men go up to the temple to pray: a Pharisee sure of his righteousness, and a tax collector who begs for God's mercy. Jesus declares that the tax collector goes home justified. We remember that God lifts up the one who humbles himself.
What does the name The Pharisee and the Tax Collector mean?
The word Pharisee is generally linked to a Hebrew or Aramaic term meaning separated. Tax collector describes someone who collected taxes in the service of Rome. In the parable, neither man bears a proper name.
The story of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Whom Jesus is addressing
Luke 18:9After a parable on persistent prayer, Jesus tells another, aimed at certain people who were persuaded that they were righteous and treated others with contempt. The Pharisee and the tax collector are therefore teaching figures, chosen to reach those who rely on their own righteousness and despise their neighbor.
Two men at the temple
Luke 18:10Jesus begins by saying that two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. For his listeners the contrast is striking: on one side a man known for his piety and devotion to the law, on the other a tax collector whom many counted among sinners.
The Pharisee's prayer
Luke 18:11-12The Pharisee, standing, prays about himself, thanking God that he is not like other people. He compares himself to robbers, evildoers, adulterers, and even to the tax collector. He recalls that he fasts twice a week and gives a tenth of all his income. He asks nothing of God.
The tax collector's prayer
Luke 18:13The tax collector stands at a distance and will not even lift his eyes to heaven. He beats his chest and asks God to be merciful to him, a sinner. He presents no merit. He acknowledges his guilt and relies entirely on the mercy of God.
The verdict of Jesus
Luke 18:14Jesus concludes that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. It is not the religious man who is declared righteous, but the one who begged for grace. Jesus adds that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
Test your knowledge
What The Pharisee and the Tax Collector teaches us
- No one is justified before God by their own merits, but by grace received in humility.
- Comparing ourselves to others to reassure ourselves is a trap of spiritual pride.
- Religious practices are good, but they do not replace a broken heart before God.
- God hears the simple prayer of one who acknowledges being a sinner.
- Whoever humbles himself will be exalted: humility is the path of grace.
Key verses
The tax collector's prayer fits in a few words. It contains no merit, only the confession of a sinner and a plea for mercy. Yet this is the prayer God accepts.
Jesus reverses appearances: the tax collector goes home justified, not the Pharisee. The conclusion of the parable states a principle of the Kingdom: whoever exalts himself will be humbled, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Peter expresses the same principle as the parable: pride closes the door to grace, humility opens it.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
- Praying Without Ceasing and Following the LordThe message stresses that fasting and tithing are good things: the Pharisee's problem is not what he does but what he thinks of himself, for he has nothing to confess and nothing to receive.
- At the King's Table: The Grace That Upgrades YouThe preacher connects the parable with Luke 14: like the guests seeking the best seats, the Pharisee thinks himself better than others, while the tax collector humbles himself and finds a place in the Kingdom.
- Admit You Are Lost: God Is Already Running Toward YouThe message sums up the difference between the two men: one acknowledges being a sinner and counts on God's grace, the other counts on his own merits, like the elder son of Luke 15.
- Young and Consecrated: Guard Your HeartThe message recalls the parable to show that God looks at the heart that prays, fasts, and serves, and not at the list of works recited before him.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Pharisee and the tax collector really exist?
This is a parable, that is, a teaching story told by Jesus (Luke 18:9). The two men are not named and are not presented as historical persons. They are figures representing two attitudes before God: trust in one's own righteousness and humble recourse to grace.
Why is the tax collector justified and not the Pharisee?
The Pharisee relies on his works and compares himself to others; he asks nothing of God. The tax collector admits he is a sinner and begs for mercy. Jesus declares that this man goes home justified, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:14).
Where can the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector be found in the Bible?
It is in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, verses 9 to 14. It follows the parable of the unjust judge and the widow, which teaches persistence in prayer, and comes before the moment when little children are brought to Jesus.