Luke 18:9–14 – The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Blurbs by Rev.Fr. Pete Literal

A very stern, humorless lady wasn’t feeling well and went to the doctor.
“Do you drink?” he asked.
“I never touch alcohol!” she replied.
“Do you smoke?”
“I never go near tobacco!”
“What about sleep?”
“I’m in bed by ten and up by six every morning!”

“I see,” said the doctor. “Then what’s the problem?”
“I’ve been having terrible headaches,” she said.
“I think your halo is too tight,” replied the doctor.

I sometimes wonder if the Pharisee in today’s Gospel had that same problem.

Everyone listening to Jesus would have expected the Pharisee to be the holy one and the tax collector to be the sinner. But Jesus surprises us: “The tax collector went home justified, not the Pharisee.”

The Pharisee’s prayer was all about himself — filled with pride and comparisons. He wasn’t really praying to God at all. The tax collector’s prayer, however, was short and sincere: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

That’s the kind of prayer God hears — honest, humble, and real.

This parable isn’t about one man being good and another bad. It’s about the attitude of our hearts when we pray. God doesn’t need our perfection; He desires our humility.

So maybe the question for us this week is simple:
When I pray, am I talking to God — or mostly about myself?

Let’s pray with humility, honesty, and gratitude — and trust that God’s mercy is always greater than our pride.