Single lesson
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Luke 18:9–14
Jesus tells this parable to people who are sure they are righteous and who look down on others. Children can learn why the two prayers are different and what Jesus says about humility before God.
Before you teach
Jesus explains why he tells this parable before it begins. Inside the parable, two men go to the temple to pray. Their words, posture and attitude are compared, and Jesus gives the meaning at the end of the story.
Students will identify from Luke 18:9 why Jesus told this parable and explain from Luke 18:14 which man went home justified and why.
Welcome: Why did Jesus tell this parable?
5 minBegin by introducing the reason for the parable. Jesus says he spoke it to people who were convinced of their own righteousness and who despised others. Explain that a parable is an illustration Jesus told. Ask children to listen for the problem Jesus is correcting and the lesson he gives at the end.
Luke 18:9
Read and explain: Two men go to pray
8 minRead the whole passage aloud, then focus on the two men. Both go to the temple to pray, but their prayers are very different. The Pharisee says, “I thank you”, “I am not like”, “I fast”, and “I give”, so his repeated first-person statements show that his words centre on himself.
Luke 18:10, Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12
Discuss: The tax collector's prayer
6 minNow look at the tax collector. He stands far away, does not lift his eyes to heaven, beats his chest and asks for mercy as a sinner. Discuss how his prayer is short and honest. Compare the two responses without asking children to share private wrongs. Keep attention on what the text says.
Luke 18:13
Make and respond: Prayer posture comparison craft
7 minMake a simple comparison scene using two paper figures or two drawn faces. Label one figure with words from the Pharisee's prayer and the other with words from the tax collector's prayer. After comparing the prayers in the passage, discuss present-day responses such as boasting about being better than others or honestly asking for mercy and help.
Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12, Luke 18:13
Closing: Jesus explains the parable
4 minFinish with Jesus' conclusion. He says the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified. Then read the final saying about exalting yourself and humbling yourself. Invite each child to say one sentence explaining the main teaching of the parable in their own words, using the text.
Luke 18:14
Questions to explore
According to Jesus, what kind of people was this parable aimed at?
Look carefully at the opening verse and notice both parts of the description: they trusted in their own righteousness and despised others.
Luke 18:9
What does the Pharisee say in prayer that shows how he sees himself?
Listen for the way he compares himself with other people and the religious actions he lists.
Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12
Which man went home justified, and what final principle does Jesus give?
Read Jesus' explanation at the end and connect it with the words about exalting and humbling.
Luke 18:14
Make, think or respond
Two-Prayer Comparison Scene
What you’ll need
- paper
- pencils or markers
- scissors
- glue or tape
Try it together
- Draw or cut out two simple people and place them on a page as the two men in the parable.
- Near one figure, write a few words from Luke 18:11 and Luke 18:12. Near the other, write a few words from Luke 18:13.
- Add speech bubbles, labels or symbols that show the difference between boasting and asking for mercy.
- Show the finished scene and tell a partner which prayer matches humility in Jesus' teaching.
This activity helps children compare the two prayers in Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12 and Luke 18:13, and remember Jesus' conclusion in Luke 18:14.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, pre-draw two figures and let them choose short word labels such as 'I thank you' and 'Be merciful to me'.
- For older or more confident children, ask them to write one sentence explaining why Jesus says the tax collector went home justified.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: 'God, help us not to look down on others. Help us come to you humbly and ask for your mercy.'
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Luke 18
9 He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.