Jesus told this parable to people who trusted in their own righteousness and looked down on others.
Luke 18:9
“Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt.”
Luke 18:9
That verse tells us exactly why Jesus gave the parable. The problem was not simply that these people were religious. The problem was that they trusted in themselves. They believed they were righteous because of what they did, and because they thought they were better than other people.
Jesus then described two men.
Luke 18:10
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”
Luke 18:10
To the people listening, these two men would have seemed very different. The Pharisee was respected as a religious man. He knew the Law. He prayed. He fasted. He gave.
The tax collector was usually viewed as a sinner. Tax collectors often worked for Rome and had a reputation for taking more money than they should.
One man looked righteous. The other did not.
Then Jesus showed what was happening in their hearts.
Luke 18:11–12
“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’”
Luke 18:11–12
Notice how much of the prayer was about himself.
“I am not like other people.”
“I fast.”
“I pay tithes.”
He mentioned God, but his confidence was in himself. He compared himself with others and decided he was doing well.
That is one of the dangers of religion. If we compare ourselves with people around us, we can almost always find someone who makes us look better.
But that is not the standard. God is the standard.
The tax collector prayed very differently.
Luke 18:13
“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!’”
Luke 18:13
He had nothing to brag about. He did not list his good works. He did not compare himself with anyone else.
He simply recognized his sin and asked God for mercy.
He called himself “the sinner.” He came before God with nothing to offer except repentance and a plea for mercy.
Then Jesus gave the conclusion.
Luke 18:14
“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.”
Luke 18:14
The man who looked religious went home unchanged. The man who admitted his sin went home justified.
That would have surprised many people listening to Jesus. The Pharisee did many religious things, but he was trusting in himself. The tax collector knew he needed mercy.
That is the difference.
We are not made right with God because we pray more than someone else, give more, attend church, know more Bible verses, or appear more religious. We are not saved by comparing ourselves with someone we think is worse.
We come to God as sinners who need mercy.
Pride says, “Look at what I have done.”
Humility says, “God, I need Your mercy.”
This parable is not teaching that obedience does not matter. It is teaching that obedience cannot make us righteous before God.
Good works should come from a life that belongs to God. They should never become the reason we believe God must accept us.
The Pharisee had religion. The tax collector had repentance.
Jesus said the repentant man went home justified.
That should cause every one of us to examine our own heart. Are we trusting in Christ, or are we quietly trusting in ourselves? Are we thankful for God’s mercy, or are we more interested in how we compare with other people?
Two men went up to pray.
Only one went home justified.