Topical Bible: Prayer of the Tax Collector

Bible > Topical > Prayer of the Tax Collector

◄ Prayer of the Tax Collector ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The Prayer of the Tax Collector is a poignant and instructive element found within the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, as recounted in the Gospel of Luke 18:9-14. This parable is a profound teaching of Jesus that contrasts the attitudes of two men who went to the temple to pray, highlighting themes of humility, repentance, and justification before God.

Context and Setting

The parable is set within the broader context of Jesus' teachings on the Kingdom of God and righteousness. Addressed to those who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on others, Jesus uses this parable to challenge prevailing attitudes of self-righteousness and to illustrate the true nature of a heart that is pleasing to God.

The Characters

1. The Pharisee: Representing the religious elite, the Pharisee in the parable is characterized by self-righteousness and pride. He stands by himself and prays, "God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire" (Luke 18:11-12). His prayer is more a self-congratulatory monologue than a genuine communication with God.

2. The Tax Collector: In stark contrast, the tax collector is a figure despised by society, often associated with corruption and betrayal. Yet, his approach to God is marked by humility and contrition. Standing at a distance, he "would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’" (Luke 18:13). His prayer is simple, sincere, and reflects a deep awareness of his own unworthiness.

Theological Significance

The Prayer of the Tax Collector is a powerful expression of repentance and humility. It encapsulates the essence of a contrite heart that acknowledges personal sinfulness and the need for divine mercy. This prayer is a model of the attitude that Jesus commends, as it aligns with the biblical principle that "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit" (Psalm 34:18).

Justification and Righteousness

Jesus concludes the parable with a striking declaration: "I tell you, this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14). This statement underscores the doctrine of justification by faith, emphasizing that it is not through human merit or religious observance that one is made right with God, but through humble reliance on His grace and mercy.

Practical Implications

The Prayer of the Tax Collector serves as a timeless reminder for believers to approach God with humility and sincerity. It challenges individuals to examine their own hearts, to forsake any semblance of self-righteousness, and to seek God's mercy with a repentant spirit. This prayer encourages a posture of humility that is essential for authentic Christian living and spiritual growth.

Conclusion

The Prayer of the Tax Collector remains a profound example of the kind of prayer that pleases God. It is a call to humility, repentance, and a recognition of one's need for God's grace, serving as a vital lesson for all who seek to walk in righteousness before the Lord.

Nave's Topical Index

Luke 18:13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

And the Pharisees Went Out, and Consulted Together Concerning Him. ...
... that he might pray, and he [10] spent the night [616] there in prayer to God ... thee
to the judge, [677] and the judge deliver thee to the tax-collector, [56] and ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section viii and the pharisees.htm

Jeroboam
... the work which lay to his hand, whether as mason, tax-collector, or king ... gifts he
possesses, faith in God, knowledge of truth, power in prayer, persuasive speech ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/jeroboam.htm

The Call of Matthew - the Saviour's Welcome to Sinners - Rabbinic ...
... most solemn of all, it was after a night of solitary prayer on the ... mistaken in making
the Gabbai the superior, and the Mokhes the subordinate, tax-collector. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the call of.htm

Who is the Greatest?
... tribute?" This tribute was not a civil tax, but a ... By his answer to the collector,
that Jesus would ... as the representatives of Christ, unite in prayer and loving ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 48 who is the.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... celebrant from holy things: she put them to flight by the sound of prayer and sistrum ...
and sums up more completely than any other the nature of the tax paid to ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

What Carey did for Literature and for Humanity
... the shrine and the increased pilgrim-tax in the ... the official seal and signature of
the English Collector. ... he never omitted to remember in prayer the slave as ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter xi what carey did.htm

Extracts No. X.
... Papias,' says Priestly, 'was a great collector of the ... care for none of these things,'
is the sincere prayer of ... would result from it; it would be a tax upon time ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/extracts no x.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6. <. ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm