I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "rather than the other" isn't just saying the publican was more justified; it means the Pharisee wasn't justified at all. Jesus is highlighting that true acceptance with God isn't about adding more good deeds to your name, but about the humble recognition of your need for His mercy.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus concludes his parable comparing a proud Pharisee and a humble tax collector by stating the tax collector, not the Pharisee, was declared righteous by God. This judgment, Jesus explains, illustrates a universal principle: those who boast about themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be lifted up.
Have you ever felt like you're not good enough? The parable of the Pharisee and the publican shows us how God truly sees our hearts when we approach Him.
Jesus tells this parable to highlight a crucial difference in how people approach God. The Pharisee, confident in his own religious performance, lists his good deeds: fasting, tithing, and being morally upright. He even despises the publican standing nearby.
The Pharisee's Prayer:
The publican, however, can't even bring himself to look up to heaven. He beats his chest in a gesture of deep sorrow and simply cries out, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
The Publican's Prayer:
What does it truly mean to be 'justified' in God's eyes? This parable reveals it's not about our performance, but about God's gracious verdict.
Jesus declares that the publican went home 'justified,' while the Pharisee did not. This word 'justified' is key. It doesn't mean the publican suddenly became sinless in his actions, but that God declared him righteous.
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God's Perspective:
This isn't about earning God's favor through good works. True justification comes when we admit our need for mercy and trust in God's loving kindness, not in our own efforts. As commentators note, the Pharisee's works, though outwardly good, were tainted by pride and self-dependence, rendering them unacceptable. The publican, by confessing his sin, disavowed any reliance on his own merit and found acceptance solely through God's undeserved favor.
We might think we're doing well spiritually, but could pride be silently disqualifying us in God's eyes?
Jesus' parable serves as a stark warning against the subtle danger of religious pride. The Pharisee wasn't condemned for his good deeds themselves, but for the attitude behind them: trusting in his own righteousness and looking down on others.
The Roots of Pride:
Calvin points out that this arrogance is deeply ingrained, a 'disease' that makes us 'venture to raise our crests against God.' Even when we perform good works or acknowledge them as God's gifts, if we then use them as grounds for self-satisfaction or to feel superior, we fall into the same trap as the Pharisee. True humility involves recognizing our total dependence on God's mercy, regardless of our spiritual achievements. The outward actions don't matter as much as the inner posture of the heart before God.
Understand the original words
dikaioō · Greek Verb
The legal or forensic act of God declaring a person righteous in His sight, based solely on faith in Christ rather than human works.
hypsoo · Greek Verb
To raise to a high position, honor, or importance; biblically, it is warned against when it is self-initiated, as God resists the proud.
tapeinoō · Greek Verb
The state of being brought low; to be made humble through the realization of one's own insufficiency and dependence on God.
This verse echoes the same principle taught by Jesus, stating that 'everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted,' showing it's a consistent theme in His teaching.
Matthew 23:12Jesus directly applies this principle to the scribes and Pharisees, warning them that their self-exaltation will lead to humiliation, underscoring the gravity of spiritual pride.
1 Peter 5:5Peter connects the command to be humble with God's resistance to the proud and His grace to the humble, reinforcing the idea that God looks favorably upon those who approach Him with humility.
James 4:6James quotes Proverbs 3:34, emphasizing that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, directly linking humility with receiving God's favor, just as the publican did.
Proverbs 3:34This Old Testament proverb clearly states the principle that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, demonstrating that this divine standard of judgment predates Jesus' teaching in Luke.
calvinLuke 18:9-14: "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:"
- And he spoke also this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11. The Pharisee standing [327] prayed these things within himself: God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterous, or even as this…
gillLuke 18:14: "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
I tell you that this man,.... The publican that so freely owned himself to be a sinner, and by his carriage acknowledged he was unworthy of any favour; and who was treated with so much contempt by the Pharisee: went down to his house; from the temple which was built on a mountain, justified, rather than the…
The phrase "rather than the other" isn't just saying the publican was more justified; it means the Pharisee wasn't justified at all. Jesus is highlighting that true acceptance with God isn't about adding more good deeds to your name, but about the humble recognition of your need for His mercy.
Jesus concludes his parable comparing a proud Pharisee and a humble tax collector by stating the tax collector, not the Pharisee, was declared righteous by God. This judgment, Jesus explains, illustrates a universal principle: those who boast about themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be lifted up.
Jesus concludes his parable comparing a proud Pharisee and a humble tax collector by stating the tax collector, not the Pharisee, was declared righteous by God. This judgment, Jesus explains, illustrates a universal principle: those who boast about themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be lifted up.
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”" — The phrase "rather than the other" isn't just saying the publican was more justified; it means the Pharisee wasn't justified at all. Jesus is highlighting that true acceptance with God isn't abou…
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Last reviewed October 2026