# Humility and Mercy in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
*2015-03-13*

> Bill Young reflects on Luke 18:10‑14, emphasizing how true humility opens us to God’s mercy and leads to exaltation, especially during Lent.

## The Parable in Context

In today’s reading, Luke 18:10‑14, Jesus tells the story of two men who go up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stands by himself and prays, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—thieves, extortioners, adulterers, or even this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all my income.” The tax collector, standing at a distance, does not even look up to heaven. He beats his breast and says, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

## The Lesson of the Parable

Jesus concludes that the tax collector, not the self‑righteous Pharisee, went home justified before God. The key is the humility that acknowledges our need for mercy. When we recognize how limited and blind we are, we become aware of God’s boundless love and are prompted to pray for forgiveness.

## Living the Prayer of Mercy

The plea “have mercy on me, a sinner” invites us to a continual attitude of humility. It is a prayer we can repeat not only during Lent but throughout the year. By turning to God with honest contrition, we respond to His mercy with gratitude and a deeper humility.

## Humility as the Heart of the Gospel

Humility is often undervalued in our culture, yet it is the very heart of God, revealed in the Incarnation and the Passion. When we ask God for the gift of humility, we align ourselves with the example of the tax collector and with the humility of Nicodemus, whom we will hear about in tomorrow’s episode.

*True humility opens the way to God’s mercy, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.*