It was a parable, an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus often spoke in parables, and in this one He taught a valuable lesson about a publican and a Pharisee.

Publicans were tax collectors, men not very well thought of among the Jewish people. They were often dishonest and charged more than the law required.

The Pharisees composed one of the religious sects during the time of Christ. They were strict about following the “letter of the law”, but they had no heart for anyone. They were constantly trying to trick Jesus.

The story is found in Luke 18:9-14. It is a short parable, but the lessons we learn from it are valuable to our eternal destiny.

These two men, the publican and the Pharisee, went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stood to pray. He thanked God that he wasn’t like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican. Does he sound a little arrogant?

He bragged on himself to God. He said, “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” Both fasting and tithing were religious acts, and it was good that he did those things. However, he showed absolutely no compassion for others.

Pharisees were somewhat that way. They wanted to hold everyone accountable to the law. They carried their religion around with them like a badge. They wanted credit for every good deed they did. They wanted everyone to know how good they were.

Pharisees would often walk through the streets with their heads bowed or even with their eyes closed for fear they would see a woman. They thought they were better than everyone else, and they didn’t want to be corrupted by seeing a woman. Their goal was to look pious.

So, as this Pharisee stood to pray, he prayed to God about himself. He didn’t pray for his sins to be forgiven or even to ask for help with some problem. Instead, he spoke to God as though he was an equal with God.

When the publican prayed, it was a very different prayer. He would not even lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he struck his chest and said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Jesus said of these two men that the publican was more justified than the Pharisee. Then he said, “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

When Jesus finished the parable many brought little children to him, and the disciples wanted to send them away. Jesus called those little children to Him and said, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.”  Obviously, the disciples needed some additional instruction in being humble.

Humility is lowliness. It is thinking less of ourselves than of others. It is putting others before ourselves. This was the essence of Jesus’ teachings in both the parable and the story of the little children.

We need to keep both of these stories in mind as we deal with people on a daily basis. It is important that we never think more highly of ourselves than of others.

James, the brother of Jesus, taught a similar lesson in James 2. He warned the Christians that they needed to be careful about giving rich men a special place to sit while making the poor to stand. He said, “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5)

In verse 9, James said, “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of (convicted by) the law as transgressors.”

We can’t mistreat anyone because of their status. In the sight of God, we are all the same. So when we are tempted to “look down” on someone because of their physical condition, we need to remember the story of the publican and the Pharisee.

Sandra Oliver