Luke 18:9-14
The Parable of Prayer
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.”
Mark 2:17
Jesus Came to Save Sinners
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
1 John 1:9
Confess Your Sins to God and He Will Forgive You
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus tells us a story of two men who went to pray...One was a Pharisee...The other was a tax collector...
The Pharisees believed and studied the Old Testament...The Pharisees much about the Bible...They tried to obey all of the Laws of Moses...They tried to obey all the Laws literally and even though some Laws seemed less than others, they felt all were important...There did not seem to be a Law or any ceremony that was minutia to them...They were popular among the people...The Pharisee in Jesus' parable goes to the temple to pray...The Pharisee stands up and thanked God...But he thanks God that he is not like other people -especially robbers, evildoers, adulterers, -or even like a tax collector...The Pharisee says he fasts twice a week, and gives a tenth of all he has...The Pharisee may even believe he can follow all of the Laws of Moses...
The tax collector prays at a distance from the temple...He would not even look up to the heaven at God, because he knows he is a sinner...He hits his chest and prays this simple prayer, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’...
Jesus then shocks those listening...It is not the one who knows the Bible, and has studied and diligently read the Scriptures...Jesus says God has heard the prayer of the tax collector...For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted...God did not respect the prayer of the Pharisee who followed the Laws of Moses and talked about others...God respected the prayer of the tax collector who admitted and confessed to Him that he was a sinner...
The Pharisee had boasted about himself, and thanked God he was not like the tax collector near the temple about to pray...God is merciful, and hears the ones who confess to Him of their sins...Jesus came for sinners, like the tax collector...God hears the ones who know and realize they have sinned, who confess to Him of their sins, who depend on Him, who do their best to be faithful to Him, and who are humble and show humility...