Pharisee and the Publican
Once upon a time, there were two men who went to church to pray. One of them was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector, also known as a publican.
The Pharisee was a religious leader who followed all the rules and thought he was better than the tax collector. He looked at himself and thought, "I am a good person. I always do what I am supposed to do. I am so much better than this tax collector."
The tax collector was not a popular person because people thought he cheated them out of money. However, when he went to church, he felt sorry for his mistakes and realized that he had done wrong. He looked down at himself and said, "I am not a good person. I make mistakes and sometimes hurt others. Please help me be a better person."
When it came time to pray, the Pharisee stood up and proudly thanked God for making him such a great person. He even pointed out all the things he did that were better than others. But the tax collector sat quietly and asked God for his forgiveness.
Even though the Pharisee thought he was better than the tax collector, it was actually the tax collector who was more humble and honest with himself. Jesus, who told this story, teaches that being proud and thinking we are better than others can hurt us. Instead, being truthful and asking God for forgiveness can help us be better people.
The Pharisee was a religious leader who followed all the rules and thought he was better than the tax collector. He looked at himself and thought, "I am a good person. I always do what I am supposed to do. I am so much better than this tax collector."
The tax collector was not a popular person because people thought he cheated them out of money. However, when he went to church, he felt sorry for his mistakes and realized that he had done wrong. He looked down at himself and said, "I am not a good person. I make mistakes and sometimes hurt others. Please help me be a better person."
When it came time to pray, the Pharisee stood up and proudly thanked God for making him such a great person. He even pointed out all the things he did that were better than others. But the tax collector sat quietly and asked God for his forgiveness.
Even though the Pharisee thought he was better than the tax collector, it was actually the tax collector who was more humble and honest with himself. Jesus, who told this story, teaches that being proud and thinking we are better than others can hurt us. Instead, being truthful and asking God for forgiveness can help us be better people.