Our Lord once told this story: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector” (Luke 18:10).
The Pharisee stood tall, making a list of his religious achievements—fasting twice a week, tithing all that he possessed. His prayer was more a proclamation of himself than a plea to God. The tax collector, by contrast, would not even lift his eyes. He struck his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Ὁ Θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, “O God, make atonement for me, the sinner”).
Then came the shock: Jesus declared, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other” (Luke 18:14).
The Meaning of the Parable
If these were words of men, we might hesitate to believe them. But because they are the words of the Lord Himself, we must accept their force. The Pharisee embodied self-effort—seeking blessing through performance, boasting in what he imagined he had achieved. The tax collector embodied dependence—aware of his sin, aware of his need, begging for mercy.
Here we see again the dividing line between worldly blessing and spiritual blessing. The Pharisee’s external life was full of “good” works, yet he went home empty. The tax collector, offering no credentials, received justification—declared righteous in God’s sight.
Connection to Part I
This parable shines its light on the four truths we explored:
- Chosen in Christ – Election is not based on outward display but on God’s mercy freely given. The Pharisee trusted himself; the tax collector entrusted himself to God.
- Personal Responsibility – Each bore his own phortion. The Pharisee brought his resume; the tax collector brought his confession. Only one found acceptance.
- Holiness in the Details – True holiness is inward purity. The Pharisee washed the outside of the cup; the tax collector was cleansed inwardly.
- Community of the Blessed – In Christ, the most despised (a tax collector, a thief, a Gentile) may enter God’s household, while the self-exalting are cast down.
The Lesson for Us
Spiritual blessing comes not to the self-sufficient but to the broken. As Isaiah said, “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). The Pharisee exalted himself and was humbled. The tax collector humbled himself and was exalted.
Thus we must say: the doorway into all spiritual blessing is not achievement, not heritage, not even disciplined ritual, but the cry of the penitent: “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
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