Pharisee and Tax Collector

Two men went up to the temple to pray. One trusted in his own righteousness. The other asked only for mercy. This song is a 12-bar Delta-style blues inspired by the parable of Luke 18:9–14, where Jesus contrasts pride and humility — and turns expectations upside down. The Pharisee speaks loudly of his works. The tax collector stands back, head bowed. Only one goes home justified.

Scripture: Luke 18:9–14

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ 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. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Lyrics

Verse 1
Pharisee stood tall in the temple light,
Yeah, Pharisee stood tall in the temple light,
Said, “Lord, I thank You I ain’t like them other men tonight.”

Verse 2
Listed all his fasting, all the tithes he paid,
Yeah, counted every righteous move he ever made,
Prayed loud to heaven, but his heart stayed far away.

Verse 3
Tax man stayed back by the shadowed wall,
Yeah, tax man stayed back by the shadowed wall,
Wouldn’t lift his eyes, just whispered, “Mercy, Lord, that’s all.”

Chorus
One walked out empty though his words were strong,
Yeah, one walked out empty though his prayer was long,
Other went home justified, head bowed, righted wrong.

Verse 4
Said, “God be merciful to a sinner like me,”
Yeah, “God be merciful to a sinner like me,”
Didn’t bring no record, just a broken plea.

Verse 5
He who lifts himself is gonna fall one day,
Yeah, lifts himself too high, he’s gonna fall one day,
But the one who humbles low gonna find a better way.

Verse 6
Ain’t about the noise or the robe you wear,
No, it ain’t about the noise or the robe you wear,
It’s the truth in your heart when you kneel in prayer.

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