Luke 18:13-14
The context
Jesus tells this parable to people who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on others, and he says so before he begins. Two men go up to pray. One recites his own record; the other stands at a distance, will not raise his eyes, and asks for mercy. The reversal at the end is stated plainly, without argument.
What it establishes
It establishes that self-assessment is not the basis of acceptance, and that the one who brings nothing but a plea is the one declared righteous. Luke uses the same verb here that Paul uses for justification, which is unlikely to be accidental.
What it does not establish
It is not a formula for prayer. The parable is aimed at contempt, and it does not prescribe posture, wording, or a technique for being heard. Nor does it say that the tax collector's prayer was meritorious; the point is that he asked for mercy and received it.
Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.
Cited in these answers
Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.