Sermons on Tax Collectors:

A Pharisee And Tax Collector Pray Together PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 13, 2025

True acceptance with God comes not from self-righteousness or comparison, but from humble confession and receiving the mercy and love found in Jesus Christ.

Some of us walked in today with a smile on our face and a scoreboard in our heart. You know the scoreboard I mean—the quiet tally of how we’re doing compared to others, the inner itch to be seen as enough, the nervous need to be noticed and approved. We measure our worth by the week we had, the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Topics: Humility, Exaltation, Self-Righteousness

Tax Collector And The Pharisee: Very Concise

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 9, 2019

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - 30th Sunday, Cycle C

Narada, the Indian sage, was a devotee of God, and thought that no one loved God more than he. His self-righteousness began to lead him towards pride and arrogance. The Lord read his heart and said, “Narada, go to this town on the banks of the Ganges for a devotee of mine dwells there. Living ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Catholic

The Taxes Of Sin

Contributed by Chad Taylor on Apr 19, 2010

Tax season is upon us....right now many of us are either celebrating or are discouraged due to the "tax" that has been put upon us. Taxes and sin are one in the same and Satan is the dirty "Uncle Satan" who dives into our spiritual pockets robbing us of G

A couple was strolling along an ocean side beach and noticed a bottle floating in the water. They waded out toward it and saw it contained a note. They eagerly opened the bottle and read the note. It said: "I’m marooned on a tropical island. There’s no pollution, traffic, noise, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Pharisee And The Publican

Contributed by Mark A. Barber on Oct 12, 2019

Are we the Pharisee or the Tax Collector?

The Pharisee and the Publican Luke 18:9-14 Jesus had just finished His parable of the unjust judge and the persistent woman. But now He turns to address a theme He brings up frequently. Many of the parables in Luke are centered around the contrast between the person of Jesus and the Pharisees in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Pharisee & The Tax-Collector (Luke 18:9-14 )

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 12, 2007

A Pharisee and a tax-collector bump into eachother at the temple. This looks like a sitcom! ...

“Jesus told them another joke”, we are told, “and He told this one to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and looked down on others.’ Now, I suspect that your translation probably says ‘parable’ rather than ‘joke’, but I think ‘joke’ is actually a very good translation. We ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:9-14

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

30th Sunday-- The Pharisee And The Tax Collector

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Sep 26, 2022

Dorotheos said that the Pharisee was doing the right thing when he thanked God for giving him the ability to do good—as should they (the monks) themselves. The Pharisee only did one thing wrong: he passed judgment on the tax collector.

Our Gospel today begins with some challenging words, “to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” There’s an old joke about a psychiatrist who is seeing a new patient for the first time. The psychiatrist says, “I’m not aware of your issue, so maybe you ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Catholic

The Pharisee & The Tax-Collector - A Sermon On Luke 18

Contributed by David Smith on Apr 21, 2005

Father Dave’s sermon on the parable of the tax collector and the Parisee. Father Dave challenges the conventional understanding of the Pharisee.

Luke 18 - Jesus told them another joke. I know your translation says ’parable’ rather than ’joke’, but ’joke’ is not a bad translation. We don’t tell parables nowadays, we tell jokes, and they’re pretty similar - both have punch lines, both can help you to see life in a different way, both can ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Zacchaeus’ Big Climb Up.

Contributed by Howard Strickland on Oct 1, 2021

About tax collectors: Tax collectors contract with Romans to collect taxes in a particular town or region, and pay a substantial fee for their franchise.

Zacchaeus’ Big Climb Up. Luke 19:1-10TPT Jesus has a divine need to connect and covenant to all mankind. His need for all individuals out weighs His personal wants and, or, desires. Every move Jesus made, He made with purpose. God’s intention through His Son according to Luke 19:10, is to seek and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10, Matthew 19:16-22

Denomination: Pentecostal

Humility Over Pride: A Lesson From The Pharisee And The Tax Collector SermonCentral

Contributed by SermonCentral on Sep 9, 2023

A reflection on pride and humility based on the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

I love Bible stories, and I believe many of us who grew up in the faith find them to be a beautiful source of teachings that still resonate with us today. Stories like David and Goliath, Elijah, Joseph, Moses leading the Israelites in the desert, and Noah's ark have been a constant companion in our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Topics: Humility, Pride

The Exalted And The Justified

Contributed by Jeff Hatos on Aug 11, 2018

An examination of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector

The Exalted and the Justified Luke 18:9-14 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Something We Are All Guilty Of

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Oct 21, 2025

A sermon about humbling ourselves.

Something We Are All Guilty Of Luke 18:9-14 “God, I thank you that I am not like other people. Really, thank you, God.” Wow, does this passage ever convict! And if we are not all found guilty in hearing this parable, we are deluding ourselves. We all pray this way too often. It starts ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: United Methodist

A Prophet, An Adulterous, An Idolator, A Tax Collector And You"

Contributed by Bruce Hindenburg on Jun 15, 2002

How God blessed and continues to bless the not so ordinary, including You.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. It is always a blessing to be invited to preach in another church. I especially enjoy coming back to Peace Lutheran and seeing my friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, that I don’t get to see nearly ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13, Romans 4:18-25

Denomination: Lutheran

The Pharisee And The Tax Collector Or The Pastor And Irs Agent Series

Contributed by Joey Nelson on Feb 7, 2002

Jesus told a story in Luke’s Gospel to teach us about the irony of God’s righteousness and man’s sinfulness.

INTRODUCTION Sermonic Theme Opening Statement: There are many literary forms used in the Bible. There is poetry, proverb, legal document, dramatic narrative, hymn, sermon, theological treatise, personal letter, and apocalyptic vision. And sprinkled into all of these genres are figures of speech ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

A Tale Of Two Prayers

Contributed by Peter Thelander on Oct 29, 2001

A look at Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

It was the best of prayers, it was the worst of prayers, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of grace, it was the epoch of law, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: United Methodist

God Hates Overachievers

Contributed by Curt Cizek on Oct 17, 2007

Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

-Rugged individualism is a highly sought after and much honored trait, especially in America -Workaholism is one of only a handful of diseases that goes untreated in America -We love to watch John Wayne or Clint Eastwood westerns -We love to hear the rags to riches story where the guy who comes ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Lutheran