Simply Yourself

A reflection on Luke 18:9-14

Jesus tells a parable about two men—a Pharisee and a tax collector—who go to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee is the persona of what many might call the “perfect religious person.” He does all the “right” things—he fasts, tithes, and prays. His prayer goes, “Thank you, God, that I’m not like ‘those people,’” referring to sinners and especially the tax collector praying nearby (v.11). You could call that a prayer, though it sounds more like a performance meant for others to hear. The picture Jesus paints is of someone who looks faithful on the outside but whose heart is closed and proud, a similar description of the audience of this parable. Even with all his religious devotion, he has not been transformed by God’s mercy.

The tax collector, on the other hand, worked for Rome under a system that made corruption almost inevitable. Rome demanded its taxes upfront, so collectors had to charge extra to make their living. The more they collected, the more they earned. The government grew richer, the people poorer, and resentment spread like wildfire through the community. Though this was common practice, it weighed heavily on the conscience of some. This tax collector knows deep down that what he’s doing isn’t right. The system itself pushes him toward sin, and he feels it in his soul. So he stands apart, beats his chest, and prays, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (v.13). His prayer is steeped in humility—a cry for mercy from a heart that longs to be made right with God. Quite the contrast to the Pharisee’s polished performance.

A sharp contrast to the Pharisee’s public persona, this man looks like a sinner on the outside: his head hangs low; his body slumps in shame. He looks weak, guilty, and broken. The Pharisee might think he’s making a spectacle of himself in the temple, not realizing that this humble posture is the truest form of prayer. It makes us wonder: Does Jesus prefer someone who poses to pray or someone who slumps in the shadows?

There’s no guessing. Jesus is clear: “If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself” (v.14, The Message). The one who prayed with honesty, not arrogance, went home right with God. His heart was transformed by grace.

Jesus prefers humility over pride, repentance over performance, authenticity over appearance. He has little patience for those who “pose for the camera,” trying to appear more religious than they are. When we pose, we stop being ourselves. We begin performing, not praying. But Jesus wants to see us when the cameras stop rolling. He wants us to be simply ourselves—our real, unfiltered selves. He doesn’t care about the empty practices that come from hard or resistant hearts. He calls us to be honest about who we are and what we’ve done, even when that truth stings.

Coming to the temple—or to church—to pray is a good first step. But bringing our whole selves, sin and all, is what makes us right with God. The Pharisee might have thought he was being himself when he looked down on the sinner, but really, he was just playing the role religion had taught him to play. Still, Jesus hadn’t given up on him. By telling this story, Jesus was inviting the Pharisee, too, to step out of the spotlight and into the shadows—to let go of the act and become simply himself. Because it’s there, in honest humility, that we draw near to the heart of God.

Reflection Questions:

1. Which do we truly admire—the person who looks polished and says all the right things, or the one who lives humbly and honestly, admitting their need for God’s mercy?

2. Be honest: who do you relate to more—the Pharisee who performs religion or the sinner who prays for mercy? Is it possible we carry both within us?

3. What does your public persona reveal? Does it reflect the truth of your heart?

Pray: God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Strip away my pretense and help me come before you with an honest and humble heart.

Action: Take a quiet moment today to pray without performing—no polished words, just truth from your heart to God’s.