Gospel in Art: Two men went up into the Temple to pray

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Printed by Anonymous Printmaker, after Adriaen Collaert, Lucas and Martin De Vos, Dutch, issued in 1643 © Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 26 October 2025
Luke 18:9-14

At that time: Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 'Two men went up into the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.'

Reflection on the engraving

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells a simple story: "Two men went up to the Temple to pray." Both came to speak with God - one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee's prayer begins with gratitude: "I thank you, God…", but it quickly turns into self-congratulation. He thanks God not so much for mercy received, but for his own virtue. The tax collector, standing apart, prays differently: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Both prayers of both men rise to heaven, yet Jesus tells us that only one reaches God's heart. The difference lies not in their words but in their own hearts.

The Pharisee looked around and compared; the tax collector looked within and repented. The Pharisee spoke of others' faults; the tax collector named his own. One man left the Temple confident in himself; the other left forgiven by God. The Pharisee's pilgrimage to the Temple lacked love, for he could not see his neighbour as a brother. The tax collector's prayer, born of humility, became the true offering God desired. We too stand before the Lord as sinners, all of us in need of mercy, none of us better than another.

Before God, we are all beggars of grace. This is beautifully shown in our engraving, dated 1641. Both men are shown praying near Jesus, yet their postures tell the whole story. The tax collector kneels humbly before Christ, his gaze lifted in repentance and hope. The Pharisee, meanwhile, stands with his back turned, unaware that the very God he claims to worship is standing beside him. Between them sits a chest filled with coins, the worldly treasure close to the Pharisee's side. But the true treasure lies elsewhere. The tax collector has before him not gold or silver, but the living presence of Jesus Himself.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-18-9-14-2025-2/