The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

As I prayed over this passage, I could almost see the Pharisee standing where everyone could notice him, arms outstretched and chest lifted as he recites his prayer. Meanwhile the tax collector stands apart, perhaps in a darkened corner—head bowed, eyes fixed on the ground, asking only for God’s mercy.

This image brought to mind a saying often attributed to St. Augustine:
“O Lord, everything good in me is due to you. The rest is my fault.”

The Pharisee speaks to God about his own achievements, almost as if the gifts he has received were his own doing. The tax collector, by contrast, comes with nothing but humility, recognizing his need for mercy.

St. Benedict teaches that humility begins when we recognize who we truly are before God. In that light, the tax collector’s prayer becomes a model of the humble heart—one that does not rely on its own righteousness, but trusts entirely in God’s mercy.

And this passage reminds me how generous that mercy truly is. The one who leaves justified is not the one who exalts himself, but the one who entrusts himself to the compassion of God.