Luke 18:13

The context

This is the second figure in the parable, standing at a distance and unwilling to lift his eyes. His prayer is short and asks for mercy rather than for a hearing on merit. Verse 14 then says he went home justified, and adds the saying about self-exaltation.

What it establishes

It establishes the contrast the parable is built on: one man's prayer appeals to mercy, and the narrative pronounces him in the right. The tax collector asks for nothing but mercy.

What it does not establish

It does not define justification. The word here is a verdict in a story, and Luke does not explain its mechanism. The parable is about prayer and humility, and using it as a complete account of how a person is accepted goes past what a parable can carry.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• Why do Christians think God is going to let them into heaven because they were better than everybody else?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.