Luke 18:9-14 is about two men who go to the temple to pray, and about which of them God actually receives. Jesus shows that the proud man, confident in his own goodness, goes home unchanged, while the humble man who admits his failure goes home made right with God. The passage applies to anyone who has ever compared themselves favorably to others.
Jesus tells this story in Luke’s Gospel right after a teaching on persistent prayer and on whether faith will still be found when the Son of Man returns. It is addressed to people who trusted their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. The setting is the temple in Jerusalem, a place of public worship, which makes the contrast between the two prayers all the more pointed.
9 He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 (WEB)
Luke 18:9-14 Summary
Jesus begins by naming his audience: people who were sure they were righteous and who held everyone else in contempt. He then introduces two men at prayer, a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee stands in a prominent place and thanks God that he is not like other people, listing their sins and naming the tax collector as an example. He then reports his religious habits, fasting twice a week and giving a tenth of his income.
The tax collector stands far off, will not raise his eyes, and beats his chest while asking God for mercy as a sinner. Jesus closes by declaring that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified. He ends with a principle that reverses expectations: those who exalt themselves will be brought low, and those who humble themselves will be lifted up.
Context of Luke 18:9-14
Luke, a companion of Paul and the author of both this Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, writes for a largely Gentile audience and emphasizes God’s concern for outsiders, the poor, and those on the margins. The verses just before this parable show a widow who keeps pressing an unjust judge until she gets justice, and Jesus uses that picture to encourage steady, expectant prayer. The verses that follow describe parents bringing little children to Jesus and the disciples trying to turn them away.
Read together, these scenes form a pattern. Persistent prayer, humble prayer, and childlike receptiveness are all ways of approaching God that depend on need rather than self-sufficiency. The parable sits at the center of that pattern, showing what kind of heart God welcomes when someone comes to him.
Luke 18:9-14 Verse by Verse
James 4:6
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
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James echoes the parable’s pattern, showing that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. The verse confirms that humility is not a weakness but the condition that lets grace reach us.
Philippians 2:3
Doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself…
(WEB)
Paul calls believers to regard others as more important than themselves. This verse turns the parable’s warning into a daily practice of humility in relationships and everyday choices.
A Prayer Based on Luke 18:9-14
Lord, I come to you today knowing that I cannot make myself right by my own effort. I have compared myself to others and found comfort in looking better than they are, and I ask you to forgive that pride. Show me where I have trusted my good habits more than your mercy, and give me the honesty of the tax collector who simply asked for help.
Thank you that you receive people who come to you with empty hands. Teach me to pray with humility, to see others with compassion instead of contempt, and to rest in the grace you give to those who admit their need. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Jesus make the Pharisee the negative example in this parable?
The Pharisee’s problem is not his religious practice but his attitude, which turns devotion into a means of self-admiration and contempt for others. Jesus shows that outward faithfulness without humility does not bring God’s approval. The parable calls readers to examine the motives behind their own prayers.
What does it mean that the tax collector went home justified?
To be justified means to be declared right with God, and Jesus says this man received that standing through his honest plea for mercy. The verdict comes from God’s grace rather than from any merit the tax collector could claim. It is a reminder that God responds to humble faith.
How can I pray humbly without becoming discouraged about my sins?
Humble prayer does not require dwelling on your failures in a way that crushes you. It means admitting your need and trusting that God’s mercy is larger than your mistakes. Many people find it helpful to pray a short, honest request each day and then leave the outcome with God.
