Jesus also told this parable to people who were sure of their
own goodness and despised everybody else. "Once there were two men
who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a
tax collector. The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, 'I
thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest ... like
everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector
over there. I fast two days a week, and I give you a tenth of all
my income.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even
raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, 'God,
have pity on me, a sinner!' I tell you," said Jesus, "the tax
collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he
went home. For all who make themselves great will be humbled, and
all who humble themselves will be made great."
Luke 18: 9-14
Luke 19: 1-10 - the story of Zacchaeus
Humility
This famous parable very clearly shows us the
importance of understanding ourselves and how being humble (showing
humility) brings us closer to God and gives us a chance to
make our relationships grow. The story of Zacchaeus, from the
next chapter, demonstrates this very clearly in the way that
Zacchaeus treats his neighbours after he has met Jesus.