<P> The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (or the Pharisee and the Tax Collector) is a parable of Jesus that appears in the Gospel of Luke . In Luke 18: 9 - 14, a Pharisee, obsessed by his own virtue, is contrasted with a tax collector who humbly asks God for mercy . </P> <P> This parable demonstrates the need to pray humbly . It immediately follows the Parable of the Unjust Judge, which is also about prayer . </P> <P> In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee commemorates the parable and begins the three - week pre-Lenten Season . </P>

The story of the pharisee and the tax collector