The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican
Warning all of us not to become proud, boastful and not to consider ourselves righteous and better than others but rather to be humble and alert for our sins to grieve over them and to judge no one because only a humble man is raised in spirit to God, Jesus Christ has told the following parable.
Two men went up into the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other — a publican (tax collector).
The Pharisee stood up front and prayed, “God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I give one tenth of all that I receive to the priests.”
But the publican standing far off would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven and beat his breast saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”
Jesus Christ said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Note: See the Gospel of Luke 18:9-14.
