Heart Posture Matters: Lessons from the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

There are some parables of Jesus that cut straight through our defenses. The story of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9–14 is one of them.

Two men went to the temple to pray. One stood tall, confident in his own goodness. The other, broken and humbled, could not even lift his eyes to heaven. Jesus tells us that it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home justified before God.

This story isn’t just about two men thousands of years ago—it’s about you and me. It’s about how we approach God, how we see ourselves, and how we see others.

The Danger of Self-Righteousness

The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”

On the surface, nothing is wrong with his actions. Fasting, giving, and living a morally upright life are all good things. The problem wasn’t what he was doing, but the posture of his heart. His confidence was not in God’s mercy—it was in himself.

Scripture reminds us: “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). No matter how many good works we do, they cannot make us right before a holy God. Our identity as children of God cannot rest on church attendance, tithing, or volunteering. These things matter deeply, but they are not the foundation. Jesus is.

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The Heart That God Accepts

The tax collector’s prayer was simple: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He didn’t come with a list of accomplishments. He came with humility. And Jesus said it was this man who went home right with God.

Why? Because God looks at the heart. “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

For me personally, I’ve had seasons where I’ve relied too much on my “Christian checklist.” I’d think to myself, I’ve read my Bible, I’ve prayed, I’ve gone to church—so I must be doing okay with God. But when I paused, I realized that my heart wasn’t always in the right place. Sometimes I was just ticking boxes, not genuinely seeking Him.

God is more interested in our posture before Him than in our polished performance.

No Condemnation in Christ

One of the most beautiful promises in scripture is this: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

This means that once we are in Christ, our worth is not measured by our failures—or even our successes. We are made right by faith, not by our works.

And if God does not condemn us, who are we to condemn others? Jesus made it clear when a crowd wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery: “Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). One by one, they dropped their stones and walked away.

The lesson? None of us has the right to stand over another person in judgment.

A Warning for “Mature” Christians

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: the longer we walk with God, the easier it can be to fall into the Pharisee’s trap. We know the scriptures. We’ve built discipline into our spiritual lives. We may even mentor or teach others. And if we’re not careful, we can start to think, At least I’m not like that Christian who still struggles with sin…

I’ve caught myself doing this before—silently comparing my walk with someone else’s and feeling a sense of pride. It never ends well. Pride hardens our hearts, while humility keeps us tender before God.

Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 10:12: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” Spiritual maturity isn’t about arriving—it’s about continually surrendering our hearts to God, staying soft, and remembering that we are all equally in need of grace.

Correcting Others in Love

Now, this doesn’t mean we ignore sin or turn a blind eye to wrong. The Bible calls us to encourage, teach, and even correct one another. But how we do it matters.

Correction without love becomes condemnation. Correction with love points people back to Jesus. Galatians 6:1 puts it this way: “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

So when we see a fellow believer struggling, we shouldn’t look down our noses at them. Instead, we should come alongside them with genuine compassion, remembering that we too are recipients of mercy.

Where Is Your Confidence?

At the end of this parable, Jesus declares: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The question we need to ask ourselves regularly is: Where is my confidence? Is it in my discipline, my church involvement, or my reputation? Or is it in Christ alone?

Because at the foot of the cross, the ground is level. The Pharisee, the tax collector, the pastor, the new believer, the “mature” Christian—we all stand before God in desperate need of grace.

Conclusion

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector reminds us that God values humility over performance, heart posture over outward appearances, and mercy over judgment.

So, let’s constantly check our hearts. Let’s not rely on self-righteousness, but on the righteousness that comes through Christ. Let’s refuse to condemn others, but instead extend grace as we ourselves have received it. And let’s remember that all the disciplines of the Christian life—fasting, tithing, church attendance—are meant to draw us closer to God, not to make us feel superior to others.

At the end of the day, our identity is not in what we do, but in who we belong to. We are children of God, made righteous not by our works, but by His mercy.

And that is very good news.