Dominic Jackson examines Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, highlighting how pride, comparison, and self-righteousness can obscure our need for grace. While the Pharisee presents a flawless religious résumé, his posture reveals a heart focused on self and performance. The tax collector, in contrast, offers no defense—only humility and a cry for mercy. We are invited to consider how our motives shape our actions, how easily we reduce faith to merit, and how Jesus calls us to bring our empty hands, not our accomplishments. True righteousness, we’re reminded, begins not with moral superiority but with need that is recognized, named, and brought to God.