The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Jesus told a story about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." But the tax collector stood at a distance, beat his chest, and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Jesus said, "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God." Grace is for the humble—those who recognize their need for mercy.