One man fasted twice a week and gave a tenth of everything he earned. The other stood far off and couldn't lift his eyes. Jesus said only one of them went home justified — and it wasn't the one with the record.

In this study, we read Luke 18:9–14 slowly: who the parable was told to, what the Pharisee's prayer actually says (and never asks), the unusual word the tax collector used for "mercy," the line from Mary's song that the parable acts out, and the trap the story sets for anyone who reads it with relief.

Main passages:
Luke 18:9–17, 35–43
Luke 15:1–2, 25–32
Luke 16:14–15
Luke 19:1–10
Psalm 51
Leviticus 16
Philippians 3:4–9

Chapters:
00:00 Two prayers, one verdict
03:14 Who were these two men?
07:19 What the Pharisee never asked
11:27 "Justify yourselves"
15:57 "Make atonement for me"
19:57 Zacchaeus and the older brother
25:03 Infants, a ruler, and a blind man
29:27 The road home

If this study helped you, subscribe to Truth in Scripture — and tell me in the comments which detail stopped you, or which parable you'd like to read next.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV.

#BibleStudy #ParablesOfJesus #Luke18 #PhariseeAndTaxCollector #Humility