English Standard Version
I just preached a sermon on this passage on Sunday -- this is a story of comparison. The Pharisee defines himself on a basis of comparison. The sin of the tax collector is useful to him because it makes the Pharisee feel better about himself. He looks at the tax collector and feels pride. The Pharisee will also look at anyone who is ahead of him and feel envy. He's looking around to his peers to find his own place in the standings.
The tax collector looks only to the holiness of God. His spirituality doesn't rest in the status of another person. It's rooted in God's mercy. He finds his justification in God and in God alone.
So when you look to the people around you, what do you see? Comparison, we're told, is the thief of joy. If you're anxiously wondering how you measure up, then relationships with others are only going to give you stress. If you stop looking to others to see how you're doing and instead opt to look to Christ to define yourself, then you can experience others as a community of people working together to serve one another. We're not competing for a limited supply of grace, but instead enjoying one another's company on the road to discipleship.
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