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LUKE 18:9 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Luke 18:8Luke 18:10
“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:”
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable — the Pharisee and Tax Collector parable is addressed to the confident-of-their-own-righteousness (tois pepisthumomenois eph' heautois hoti eisin dikaioi, those persuaded about themselves that they are righteous). Who looked down on everyone else (exouthenountas tous loipous, despising the rest): the self-righteousness that produces contempt.

Church Fathers on Luke 18:9

Since faith is not a gift of the proud but of the humble, our Lord proceeds to add a parable concerning humility and against pride.

Augustine · 4th century

Pride also beyond all other passions disturbs the mind of man. And hence the very frequent warnings against it. It is moreover a contempt of God; for when a man ascribes the good he does to himself and not to God, what else is this but to deny God? For the sake then of those that so trust in themselves, that they will not ascribe the whole to God, and therefore despise others, He puts forth a parable, to show that righteousness, although it may bring man up to God, yet if he…

Theophylact · 11th century

To be diligent in prayer was the lesson taught by our Lord in the parable of the widow and the judge, He now instructs us how we should direct our prayers to Him, in order that our prayers may not be fruitless. The Pharisee was condemned because he prayed heedlessly. As it follows, The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself.

GREEK EX ·
Read all 24 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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Luke 18:9 — Community Reflections | HolyStudy