The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector contrasts self-righteousness with humility, and its purpose is to expose those who trust in themselves that they are righteous and despise others. Though it involves prayer, it concerns how to be justified before God rather than how to pray. Both men are sinners, and each lets the judgment he has formed of himself shape his prayer. The Pharisee trusts in his own works rather than in Christ's sacrifice, acts as though God owes him salvation, and shows how little he grasps of God's holiness and his own lowly spiritual state. He treats others as nothing, comparing himself not with God's perfection but with the imagined greater flaws of others, and so he is bankrupt of compassion. His prayer glories in what he is, what he does, and what he gives, using "I" five times. He never intercedes for the tax collector. The tax collector humbles himself before God, repents, and pleads for mercy, and he goes home justified, declared righteous. Human beings are justified not by works but by God's mercy and grace, and our part is to humble ourselves in faith, repent, and ask forgiveness. None of the Pharisee's fasting and tithing could justify him. It is far less humiliating to humble ourselves than to be humbled by others, and the one who humbles himself is exalted. Solomon states the same principle: let another praise you, not your own mouth.

Jesus Christ desires to show the contrast between those who trust in themselves and those who trust in God through the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee, in his address to God, lists all his accomplishments, expecting divine favor based on his actions. He fasts twice a week beyond the required public days, tithes on everything he possesses, and prides himself on his apparent piety. Yet, he misses the deeper intent of God's law, contrasting himself with others and trusting in his own righteousness. His fault lies in relying on this superficial righteousness, not acknowledging his sinfulness, and making public professions of his greatness, which displeases God, who looks upon the heart and sees the true nature within, despite outward appearances. In contrast, the publican's approach to God is marked by humility and repentance. He stands afar off, aware of his unworthiness to draw near to God, and does not lift his eyes or hands, but strikes himself in frustration over his sins. His prayer is short, hindered by fear and shame, yet full of sighs and groans, trusting in the Spirit to intercede for his unspoken needs. Unlike the Pharisee, he compares himself not to other men but to God, seeing his flaws and pleading for mercy as a sinner. In the end, he returns home justified, while the Pharisee does not. This parable reveals that true righteousness exceeds mere outward compliance with the law, as exemplified by the Pharisees. It requires genuine humility and a heart aligned with God's intent, seeking forgiveness and transformation rather than self-glorification.

In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Jesus illustrates a profound contrast between self-righteousness and humility. He addresses those who trust in their own righteousness, exalting themselves while despising others. The Pharisee, standing alone in haughty separation, boasts of his own goodness, declaring his superiority over others with a self-centered tone, emphasizing his own actions repeatedly in his prayer. He views himself as the cream of the crop, going beyond what the law requires, and fears contamination by associating with sinners, treating God almost as an equal in his pompous gratitude for not being like other men. In stark opposition, the Publican stands afar off, overwhelmed by his unworthiness to even approach God. He cannot lift his eyes to heaven, beating his breast in anguish over his sins. His prayer is a mere seven words, a desperate plea for mercy, casting himself entirely upon God's compassion. Jesus declares that this humble man, the sinner who places himself at God's mercy, goes away justified, while the Pharisee, who exalts himself and looks down on others, is rejected. God will not accept such self-righteousness, promising to humble those who elevate themselves above others. Through this parable, Jesus underscores that true righteousness lies not in self-congratulation but in humble reliance on God's mercy.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector shows how destructive pride is to relationships. The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself, thanking God that he was not like other men, whether extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even the tax collector, and boasting that he fasted twice a week and tithed on all he possessed (Luke 18:11-12). Pride can make a person condescending and self-righteous, so that he sees himself as greater than others, and this attitude can lead him to misuse them. At the same time, pride blinded the Pharisee to his own spiritual condition. He measured himself against others and found himself superior, while remaining unaware of his need before God. This illustrates one of pride's most destructive fruits: self-deception, a blindness to one's own spiritual state that tends to produce a sense of infallibility. The proud person offends God by exalting himself and offends others by a haughty preoccupation with himself, and he ignores the instruction that would correct him.