Jesus tells the parable of two men who go to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee in the context of the hearer would have been considered to be the hero of the story. He does everything right and even goes beyond requirements. The tax collector would be the outcast of the story. He does not even come near but rather looks down and says, "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" But like so many parables, Jesus provides a twist in the story. The tax collector goes home justified and not the religious leader.

The Pharisee's problem was that he was trying to keep score. Even though his prayer started out as thanksgiving, he ultimately was trying to tell God how good he was for keeping all the commandments. He did not know that no one can do anything to impress God. Instead we are all dead and in need of a resurrection. This fact is what the tax collector recognized. He knew he had a need for a Savior.

In this story, we never hear if the tax collector repented of his sins or if he even changed his life after leaving the Temple. But we do know that his admission of his need for mercy made him justified. It is always best to acknowledge our true status to God rather than to pretend to be something we are not. The Pharisee did not express his need for a Savior and so he was in denial.

When we admit we have a need for a Savior...that we need resurrection because we are dead, then we will begin to experience the fruits of resurrection. Good things we do are not a result because we are good on our own. When we are not trying to show off or impress God or others, we can surrender to God's Spirit to do His work through us. The attention will not be on what we do but rather what God does through us.