“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.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 18:11 Mean?
Jesus exposes the anatomy of self-righteous prayer: 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.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself (pros heauton — to himself, directed at himself) — the prayer's direction reveals its nature. With himself — the prayer does not reach God. It is directed at the Pharisee himself. The words are addressed to God (God, I thank thee), but the actual audience is the one praying. The prayer is a soliloquy disguised as worship — self-congratulation wearing the costume of gratitude.
God, I thank thee — the opening sounds right. Thanksgiving directed to God. But the content of the thanksgiving reveals the corruption: the Pharisee does not thank God for mercy, grace, provision, or forgiveness. He thanks God for his own superiority. The thanksgiving is not for what God has given. It is for what the Pharisee has achieved — measured against others.
That I am not as other men are — the comparison is the prayer's engine. Not: I am grateful for your grace. But: I am grateful that I am not like those people. The prayer is built on comparison — and the comparison always favors the one praying. The Pharisee's righteousness is not measured against God's standard. It is measured against other sinners. And by that standard, he looks excellent.
Extortioners, unjust, adulterers — the sins he avoids. The Pharisee has not extorted, has not been unjust (in his own estimation), has not committed adultery. The list is real: these are genuine sins he has genuinely avoided. The problem is not that the claims are false. The problem is that the avoidance of specific sins has become the basis for self-congratulation before God.
Or even as this publican — the specific comparison. The tax collector (v.13) — standing at a distance, beating his breast, unable to lift his eyes. The Pharisee looks at the most visibly sinful person in the room and uses him as the measuring stick: at least I am not like him. The publican becomes the yardstick that makes the Pharisee feel righteous.
Jesus's verdict (v.14): the publican went down to his house justified rather than the other. The one who compared favorably was not justified. The one who beat his breast and said 'God be merciful to me a sinner' was. The prayer that compared was rejected. The prayer that confessed was accepted. The Pharisee who thanked God for his superiority left unjustified. The publican who begged for mercy left justified.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does praying 'with himself' reveal about prayer that is directed at self-congratulation rather than God?
- 2.How does comparing yourself to other sinners replace the need for God's mercy — and why is the comparison deadly?
- 3.Why does the publican's prayer (v.13: 'God be merciful to me a sinner') produce justification while the Pharisee's prayer does not?
- 4.Which prayer more closely resembles yours — the Pharisee's comparison or the publican's confession?
Devotional
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. With himself. The prayer never left the room. The words were addressed to God, but the audience was the Pharisee. The prayer was a performance — self-congratulation disguised as worship, comparison dressed as gratitude. The Pharisee was not talking to God. He was talking to a mirror.
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are. The thanksgiving sounds pious. The content is poison. The Pharisee is not thanking God for mercy. He is thanking God for his own superiority — measured not against God's standard but against other sinners. I am not like those people. The gratitude is for the comparison — and the comparison always favors the one doing the comparing.
Extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. The list of sins he has avoided. And the claims may be true — the Pharisee may genuinely not be an extortioner or an adulterer. The problem is not that the claims are false. The problem is that the avoidance of certain sins has replaced the need for mercy. The Pharisee's prayer has no confession, no need, no dependence. It is a resume presented to God for approval.
Or even as this publican. The specific target. The tax collector — the most obvious sinner in the room — becomes the measuring stick. The Pharisee looks at the worst person he can find and says: at least I am not him. The comparison makes the Pharisee feel righteous. But the comparison is not the standard God uses.
The publican (v.13): God be merciful to me a sinner. No comparison. No resume. No list of avoided sins. Just: I am a sinner. Be merciful. And Jesus says (v.14): this man went home justified. Not the Pharisee. The one who compared favorably was rejected. The one who begged for mercy was accepted.
Which prayer is yours? The prayer that compares and congratulates? Or the prayer that confesses and begs? The Pharisee left the temple unjustified — carrying his resume, his comparisons, and his self-satisfaction. The publican left justified — carrying nothing but mercy. The one who brought the most to God received the least. The one who brought nothing received everything.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The Pharisee stood,.... Standing was a praying posture; See Gill on Mat 6:5 nor is this observed, as if it was something…
Stood and prayed thus with himself - Some have proposed to render this, “stood by himself” and prayed. In this way it…
Stood and prayed thus with himself - Or, stood by himself and prayed, as some would translate the words. He probably…
The scope of this parable likewise is prefixed to it, and we are told (Luk 18:9) who they were whom it was levelled at,…
stood and prayed thus with himself Standing was the ordinary Jewish attitude of prayer (1Ki 8:22; Mar 11:25), but the…
Cross References
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