9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Read Luke 18:9-14 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
At one point in the middle of Jesus’ ministry on earth, the gospel of Luke describes an illustration Jesus shared with a group of people that are described as “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.” (v. 9)
While in this parable, we are given the picture that these people were like the Pharisee Jesus describes, Jesus also gives us a brief description of a tax collector. While I don’t think it was an accident that Jesus used one of the most hated occupations of that time to be the justified person in His parable, this man’s occupation is likely the least relevant part of his presence in this parable.
In Jesus’ parable, the tax collector receives just a single verse to describe how he approached God: “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (v. 13)
When comparing how the Pharisee prayed with how this tax collector prayed, the tax collector simply has one request, and one word to describe himself. In this prayer, the tax collector asks for mercy and he recognizes himself as a sinner.
This prayer is powerful and praised by Jesus not only because Jesus says in verse 14 that this tax collector went home justified before God, but also because this prayer actually contains a request that only God can answer. Only God can give mercy to sinners, and God is happy to answer this request when the prayer has been given in a humble way.
Everything about this tax collector speaks about his need for God, and his desire for God’s help. The tax collector describes himself like God could describe everyone who has ever lived. At the very core of our relationship with God, we must all realize that we come before God as sinners – which is one way of saying that we are guilty of breaking God’s law.
By starting our relationship with God by recognizing this point, there is nothing we can truly do except ask Him for mercy. While the Pharisee probably would technically admit to being a sinner, he is too interested in making himself worthy of God’s favor based on acting righteously. In contrast, the tax collector realizes the only way He can hope to be accepted by God is if God is willing to show him mercy.
The challenge we all must realize is that nothing we can ever do will outweigh the debt of our life’s sin. The only way any of us can hope to be accepted by God, regardless of how good of a life we have lived, is by asking for His mercy and accepting Jesus into our lives. God has provided us mercy through Jesus’ sacrifice, and while it isn’t stated this clearly in Jesus’ parable, this tax collector was justified because He humbly requested God’s help.
In many ways, this fictional tax collector is the reason Jesus came. When we humbly ask God for help with the sin in our lives, we support Jesus’ mission to earth and the cross. God sent us mercy and help, and all we must do is humbly accept God’s gift through Jesus.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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