Once upon a time, there was a Pharisee and a Tax Collector who both went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee was a very proud and self-righteous man, and he was sure that he was better than everyone else. He thanked God that he was not like other people, especially the Tax Collector, who was a sinner.
The Tax Collector, on the other hand, was a humble man who knew he was a sinner. He stood far away from the Pharisee and would not even look up to heaven. He beat his chest and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
When Jesus heard this, he told a parable to his disciples. He said, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a Tax Collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this Tax Collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’
But the Tax Collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The moral of this story is that it is not enough to simply do good deeds. We must also have a humble and contrite heart. We must recognize our own sinfulness and ask for God’s mercy. God looks at our hearts, not just our actions. He rewards those who are humble and repentant, and He will exalt them.
This parable teaches us an important lesson about humility and repentance. We should always strive to be humble and recognize our own sinfulness. We should never think that we are better than anyone else, and we should always ask for God’s mercy. In this way, we can be sure that God will exalt us.
