"The Pharisee and the Tax Collector" Discussion Guide

Main Thought

The Pharisees might be the most disliked group of people we meet in the Bible! They tried to  discredit Jesus, and eventually helped crucify Him. One thing Jesus condemned the Pharisees for was their pride, which he focused on in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Pride crosses the line and becomes sinful when we develop “haughty eyes.” Haughty eyes cause us to look down on others. Yet when we read this parable, we may realize that we’re proud of the same things that made the Pharisees haughty! (Things like our accomplishments, reputation, groups or opinions.) 

We need to adopt the approach of the Tax Collector in Jesus’s story. The Tax Collector looked at his own flaws, judged himself against God’s standard, and sought to be made right with God. Our souls are shaped, strengthened, and prepared to serve God when we do this consistently.

Main Passages

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and 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.’
- Luke 18:9

“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes...”
- Proverbs 6:16-17

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Luke 18:13-14

Discussion Questions

  1. What stood out to you from the Main Thought and Passages above?

  2. Have you ever looked at others with “haughty eyes”?

  3. Haughtiness is rarely intentional. It’s more likely to creep in slowly. Could there be an area in your life in which you might have become proud, or haughty, unintentionally? How do you think God wants you to move forward in this area?

Family Question

  1. What are you proud of? Have you ever been mean to someone because you were good at something?