In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector—a story that flips expectations upside down. The Pharisee, respected for his devotion and moral life, prays proudly, thanking God that he’s not like “that sinner.” Meanwhile, the tax collector, despised by society, humbly stands at a distance and prays, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” And it’s the tax collector—not the Pharisee—who goes home right with God. Jesus reminds us that it’s not our appearance of righteousness that saves us, but a humble heart that knows its need for mercy. I’ve learned that lesson myself—thinking I had it all together, only to realize how much I still needed grace. So today, let’s stay humble, stop comparing ourselves to others, and keep praying that simple, powerful prayer: “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

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Good morning, friends!

It’s good to be with you on this Thursday morning as we continue together in Luke’s Gospel. I hope your week has been going well. Today’s passage gives us one of those classic “role reversal” moments Jesus loved to use — where the person everyone thought was righteous turns out to be missing the point, and the person everyone looked down on turns out to be the one who truly gets it.

We’re looking at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Now, the Pharisee would’ve been someone people admired. He was respected for his knowledge of the Law, for his discipline, for how seriously he took his faith. He would have been considered moral, upright, and devout — someone people looked up to.

Then there was the tax collector. And let’s remember who these folks were. Tax collectors were Jews who worked for Rome. Rome didn’t care how you lived or who you worshiped — they only cared that you paid your taxes. So they would hire local people to collect the money. But those tax collectors often used that position to take more than what was owed. If you owed Rome $100, they might charge you $200 — and if you didn’t pay, they had the Roman soldiers to back them up. So they were seen as traitors, thieves, and sellouts. People despised them.

So Jesus gives us these two men: one that everyone saw as the “good guy,” and one that everyone saw as the “bad guy.” And in the story, the Pharisee prays, “Lord, thank you that I’m not like that sinner over there.” But the tax collector stands far off, beats his chest, and says, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

And Jesus says it’s the tax collector — not the Pharisee — who goes home justified before God. Because it’s not the appearance of holiness that saves us; it’s the humility of repentance. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

That simple prayer — “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner” — is the heartbeat of our faith.

I’ll never forget when that lesson hit home for me. I got saved as a senior in high school — not just going to church, but really giving my life to Jesus. And He changed me. He made me new. But early on, I had a bit of a problem: I thought I was more righteous than I really was. I didn’t say it out loud, but in my heart I thought, “I’ve got this figured out. I’m really doing it right.”

I remember sitting in my college cafeteria one day, feeling pretty good about how holy I was. This guy walked in — greasy hair, dirty clothes, looked rough. And I thought, “Lord, why can’t he be more like me?”

Then I watched him sit down, take off his hat, and pray over his meal. And I realized — he was being more faithful than I was. Because I hadn’t even stopped to bless my own food.

In that moment, God humbled me. I realized I wasn’t nearly as holy as I thought. I was acting like the Pharisee — thanking God that I wasn’t like “that guy” — when really, I was the one who needed mercy.

Friends, any time we start thinking, “Well, they’re not as Christian as I am,” we need to stop and remember this parable. Because the moment we start comparing ourselves to others, we become the Pharisee. And what Jesus calls us to be is the tax collector — the one who beats his chest and says, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

That’s the prayer that brings us closer to God. That’s the heart that’s open to grace.

So today, let’s stay humble. Let’s remember that we all need mercy. And let’s be careful not to look down on others, but to keep tending to our own hearts — asking God to forgive, to cleanse, and to make us new every day.

Have a great day, friends. We’ll pick up tomorrow with verse 15.