Daily devotional · March 8
Two Men at Prayer
“To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Jesus tells this parable to people confident of their own righteousness who looked down on everyone else. Two men go to the temple. One, a respected Pharisee, thanks God that he is not like other people and lists his good habits. The other, a tax collector, stands at a distance, unable even to look up, and asks only for mercy. Jesus says the second man went home right with God. The surprise is not that the Pharisee did good things; it is that his prayer was really a speech about himself. The tax collector had nothing to show, so he received everything. Humility here is not self-hatred but truthfulness before God. Today, when you pray, skip the résumé. Simply be honest about who you are and where you need help. And notice whether you have quietly been comparing yourself to someone; let that go.
Prayer
God, be merciful to me. I have nothing to offer but honesty, and I trust Your kindness. Amen.