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Two Men
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other” (Luke 10:14).
These two men both went to the temple with the same objective…to pray. It all seemed good on the surface, but the motive and the result were very different. The first man “prayed thus with himself.” In other words, his prayer never got above the temple roof. He also used the word “I” five times. He was self-consumed, and thought himself a very good fellow.
But the second man, owning he was a sinner before God, received the blessing, and left the temple a changed man … as the Lord said, “justified rather than the other.” Which are you? Are you like the publican or the Pharisee?
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