Sermons on Luke 18:14

Luke 18:14 Interpretation:

"Sermbr title: Embracing Humility: The Journey of Faith and Dependence"(Trinity Church of Sunnyvale) reads Luke 18:14 through the lens of spiritual recovery and the practical movement from self-reliance to dependence on God, arguing that Jesus’ verdict that “the one who humbles himself will be exalted” is the hinge of transformational change; the preacher connects the parable to the 12‑step framework (steps 1–7) so the tax‑collector’s posture becomes the practical “valley of humble dependence” that allows God to do the work we cannot do, distinguishes religion (self‑performance) from faith (reliant surrender), highlights the “exchange of wills” required when we ask God to remove defects, and even leans on a linguistic note about the Greek archery origin of “sin” (missing the mark) to emphasize that true humility is confessing we have missed God’s design so that God can root out those defects — a reading that makes Luke 18:14 into both a diagnostic of spiritual condition and a programmatic step toward sanctification rather than merely a moral precept.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility: The Path to God's Kingdom"(Kingsland Colchester) interprets Luke 18:14 by turning the parable into a bodily posture: humility is not primarily a list of acts but a backward “tilt” or trust‑fall toward God (the tax‑collector tipping over the point of no return), so entry into the kingdom is defined as the posture of childlike dependence rather than the performance of religious practices; the preacher develops a cluster of metaphors — tilt/trust‑fall, baptism as the tipping point, “posture not practice,” and a needed “volume adjustment” in how we hear inner critics — and insists that Jesus reverses social expectations (the hated tax collector becomes the hero) so the verse calls people out of self‑sufficiency into the posture and story of grace.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility Through Unconditional Election and Grace"(Desiring God) reads Luke 18:14 as a corrective index to theological self‑exaltation—especially as a practical warning for those who embrace doctrines of grace—arguing that the very doctrines meant to crush boasting (unconditional election, total depravity, irresistible grace, providence) can be domesticated into a platform for pride unless Luke 18:14’s blunt rule (“whoever exalts himself will be humbled…”) governs the believer’s heart; the sermon treats the verse not only as ethical counsel but as a theological barometer that should produce vigilance, grief over indwelling sin, meditation on Christ’s agonies, and a pleading prayer for humility as a gift (a “peculiar” gift of self‑forgetting).

"Sermon title: Balancing Reverence and Inclusivity in Worship Attire"(Desiring God) applies Luke 18:14 to corporate worship etiquette by arguing that humility should shape how Christians dress and comport themselves in services — the preacher reads “humble yourself” concretely as a posture of non‑distraction (“dress to be undistracted”) so that worship honors God’s transcendence and imminence; the verse functions here as a principle for fittingness and self‑humbling in public worship rather than a mere private virtue, and the sermon makes Luke 18:14 the moral and liturgical norm that critiques both self‑exalting dress and discriminatory judgment toward poorer worshipers.

Embracing Humility: The Path to True Greatness(The Father's House) reads Luke 18:14 as a direct call away from performance-driven religiosity toward a heart-attitude of humility, stressing that the contrast between the Pharisee and the tax collector is not primarily about outward morality but about inward posture (the Pharisee “prayed thus with himself” and thus practiced self-justifying performance), and he amplifies that reading with contemporary analogies — social media as the modern Pharisee’s platform of self-exaltation — moving the verse into practical discipleship by insisting humility is a code to be lived (confession, sacrificial service, treating others better than oneself) and by framing pride theologically as the “original sin” that makes us “never more like Satan than when we walk in pride.”

[Oct 19, 2025] Lord Have Mercy(Novation Church) treats Luke 18:14 as teaching the difference between outside-in righteousness (the Pharisee’s resume of do’s and don’ts) and inside-out righteousness (the tax collector’s penitential cry), reading “he who humbles himself will be exalted” through the twin lenses of justification and sanctification — justification as God’s declaring the penitent right through faith, sanctification as the ongoing inward work — and he sharpens the exegetical point by stressing that the tax collector’s “Lord, have mercy” is an atoning plea (literally an appeal for atonement) that opens the heart to receive God’s grace rather than trying to earn it.

The Parable of Mercy and the Gift of Baptism at St. Ignatius Parish(St. Ignatius Parish) foregrounds a surprising linguistic/interpretive move on Luke 18:14, arguing that the Greek connective rendered “not the former” can be read as “along with,” so the shock of the parable is not merely that the tax collector is accepted but that God’s mercy makes both the Pharisee and the tax collector justified — the sermon thus reframes the verse not as exclusive condemnation of the religious but as a revelation about God’s gratuitous mercy, and then applies that to baptism as the concrete sign by which sinners are received into God’s family.

10/26/25 - 9:30 Sunday Mass | Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time(St Dominic's Catholic Church San Francisco) interprets Luke 18:14 through the relational category of friendship: the verse shows that hope (a desire for God’s eternal good) enables a two-way friendship with God, so the tax collector’s “God, be merciful to me” is understood as a hopeful reaching that rekindles mutual relationship with God, whereas the Pharisee’s boast betrays a misplaced hope in himself and so forfeits friendship; the preacher thereby makes the verse primarily about opening or closing the channel of relationship with God rather than simply moral success or failure.

Off the Stage(Christ Church UCC Des Plaines) reads Luke 18:14 as a contrast between theatrical religion and honest humility, arguing Jesus vindicates the tax collector because his prayer is unperformed and authentic; the sermon uses the Pharisee-as-performer motif, saying the Pharisee "prayed about himself" whereas the tax collector "prayed to God," and interprets "went home justified" as God recognizing genuine humility rather than public piety—the preacher frames justification here less as a forensic legal declaration and more as the divine vindication of an honest heart that refuses self-exaltation and public performance.

Living Prayerfully: Humility, Help, and Hope in Christ(CedarCreekChurch) gives a linguistically and structurally rich interpretation of Luke 18:14, insisting Jesus contrasts two postures of life (outside-in performance vs inside-out humility) and that the tax collector's prayer is not merely "I am a sinner" but a forceful plea employing the Greek verb often translated "be merciful" (haskami) better rendered as "aton[e] for me," tying his plea to the sacrificial/atonement imagery of the mercy seat; Luke's verdict that the tax collector "went home justified" is read as God granting the very glory humans crave (exaltation) not on merit but as gift in response to genuine humility and need.

Coming to Church: Humility, Mercy, and True Worship(Bellshill and Bothwell Parish Church) interprets Luke 18:14 as a corrective to religiosity: both men "come to the temple" yet only the tax collector is remade by prayer because his posture is brokenness and dependence rather than self-congratulation; the preacher stresses that the Pharisee's prayer functions as a monologue of self-affirmation while the tax collector's seven-word plea ("God, be merciful to me, a sinner") models the humble openness that invites justification, so the parable's point is less about external religiosity than about the heart posture with which one approaches God.

Luke 18:14 Theological Themes:

"Sermbr title: Embracing Humility: The Journey of Faith and Dependence"(Trinity Church of Sunnyvale) emphasizes a theological theme that humility is the gateway to divine agency: only when we relinquish our will and confess powerlessness (the 12‑step notion of being “powerless” and turning life over to God) does God move to remove defects; humility here is not merely moral but the essential posture for receiving sanctifying grace and for participating in God’s restorative work.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility: The Path to God's Kingdom"(Kingsland Colchester) presents a theological theme that entrance into God’s kingdom is defined by posture (childlike, dependent receptivity) rather than by ritual proficiency or moral credit, reframing justification as the fruit of trusting posture — the kingdom belongs to those who recognize incapacity and lean back into divine arms.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility Through Unconditional Election and Grace"(Desiring God) advances a distinctive theological theme that the doctrines of grace are purposefully humbling means given so God gets the glory and humans are disarmed of boasting; Luke 18:14 becomes the hermeneutical test for healthy doctrine: if grace produces pride, the application of those doctrines is malformed, so theology must drive not only belief but brokenness and continual dependence.

"Sermon title: Balancing Reverence and Inclusivity in Worship Attire"(Desiring God) proposes a theological theme that humility must govern corporate liturgical practice: Luke 18:14 grounds an ethic of fittingness in worship (reverence, non‑distracting comportment, hospitality toward the poor) so that worship’s form flows from a theological vision of God’s holiness and the Christian’s call to self‑humbling presence.

Embracing Humility: The Path to True Greatness(The Father's House) develops the distinctive theological theme that humility is not merely a virtue but a defining “code” of Christian identity (a heart-attitude of loneliness and dependence that honors God as supreme) and that there exists a legitimate “godly pride” (taking pride in God’s work) distinct from sinful pride; he also pushes a pastoral theology that humility is cultivated through concrete practices (confession, sacrificial serving, unoffendability) rather than abstract assent.

[Oct 19, 2025] Lord Have Mercy(Novation Church) frames a theologically precise distinction between justification and sanctification applied to Luke 18:14 — justification as God’s declarative act (the tax collector “went home justified”) and sanctification as the ongoing internal transformation — and ties that to a pastoral theology of “inside-out” living (awareness of one’s own faults first) as the context in which God’s grace operates.

The Parable of Mercy and the Gift of Baptism at St. Ignatius Parish(St. Ignatius Parish) emphasizes a theological theme that the parable primarily reveals God’s initiative — mercy given freely to those who acknowledge need — and that sacramental life (baptism) participates in and makes visible that divine mercy; the preacher presses that humility is not merely moral but the posture by which God’s gratuitous acceptance is received.

10/26/25 - 9:30 Sunday Mass | Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time(St Dominic's Catholic Church San Francisco) offers a theology of hope as the operative grace that enables friendship with God: humility and hope open the soul to friendship, and friendship with God is the antecedent of authentic moral transformation (you are good because you are first God’s friend).

Off the Stage(Christ Church UCC Des Plaines) emphasizes the theme that authentic grace opposes religious performance and that humility restores human dignity; the sermon applies Luke 18:14 to congregational life by arguing that churches which convert faith into spectacle, control, or financial status-card systems betray the tax collector’s gospel and instead should "step off the stage," receive sacrificial gifts with dignity, and cultivate communities where humble, honest prayers are honored and thereby justified by God.

Living Prayerfully: Humility, Help, and Hope in Christ(CedarCreekChurch) advances a distinctive theological theme that prayer is the posture that reorients identity—from "living outside-in" (seeking glory through performance, separation, and moral posturing) to "living inside-out" (confessing need and receiving atonement); the preacher ties this to justification: exaltation/glory is the intended human end, but it is granted through humility and divine atonement rather than human achievement, so prayer becomes the habitual recognition that justification is gift, not reward.

Coming to Church: Humility, Mercy, and True Worship(Bellshill and Bothwell Parish Church) presents the theme that worship is encounter not exhibition, urging that church exists primarily as a place of receiving mercy and transformation rather than a place to secure social affirmation; the sermon makes a theological claim that approach-motives matter—the church is "a hospital for sinners," and Luke 18:14 teaches that humility opens one to conversion and restoration while self-justifying religiosity leaves one unchanged.

Luke 18:14 Historical and Contextual Insights:

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility: The Path to God's Kingdom"(Kingsland Colchester) provides historical and social context about first‑century social standing by explaining the status of the two figures Jesus juxtaposes — the Pharisee as a respected religious leader and the tax collector as a culturally despised collaborator with Rome who extorted money and thereby bore communal scorn — and the preacher uses that contextual detail to show how scandalous Jesus’ reversal is (the socially despised one goes home justified), which sharpens the meaning of Luke 18:14 as a subversion of social expectations about righteousness.

Embracing Humility: The Path to True Greatness(The Father's House) situates the parable sociologically by noting the relative social esteem of Pharisees in first‑century Judaism (high on the ladder for outward religious status) versus the tax collector (despised Jewish collaborators who extorted for Rome), using those social distances to explain why Jesus’ reversal — the lowly justified — is scandalous and instructive for contemporary status-driven cultures.

[Oct 19, 2025] Lord Have Mercy(Novation Church) supplies cultic/temple context by explaining the tax collector’s plea in light of the temple’s atonement imagery: he connects “be merciful” with the mercy‑seat/tabernacle practice (sprinkling blood on the mercy seat for atonement), thus showing how the tax collector’s cry tapped into Israel’s sacrificial language and why it would be recognized as an appeal for God’s cleansing.

The Parable of Mercy and the Gift of Baptism at St. Ignatius Parish(St. Ignatius Parish) gives a careful first‑century contextual note that Pharisees were widely respected religious figures (not mere caricatures), that tax collectors were collaborators hated by their own people, and that the temple setting frames the tax collector’s distant posture and unlifted eyes as culturally appropriate signs of unworthiness — all of which the preacher uses to show how utterly gracious God’s acceptance is.

10/26/25 - 9:30 Sunday Mass | Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time(St Dominic's Catholic Church San Francisco) reminds listeners of the common ancient Jewish self-understanding (Pharisees as “good guys” zealous for Torah) to explain why the Pharisee’s prayer would appear outwardly righteous yet inwardly blind, using that background to argue the parable’s sting is theological rather than merely social.

Living Prayerfully: Humility, Help, and Hope in Christ(CedarCreekChurch) supplies multiple contextual insights: he explains Pharisees as a zealous, reform-minded Jewish group (not merely caricatured villains) who resembled a movement to preserve covenantal holiness, contrasts them with Sadducees, and gives a historically textured account of tax collectors as collaborators who extorted fellow Jews under Roman rule (collecting more than Rome demanded and keeping the surplus); he also situates Psalm 121 in its pilgrimage context (paired with Psalm 120, a cry of desperation) and links the Greek prayer term in Luke to the mercy-seat/atonement imagery of the ark, showing how first-century Jewish ritual and language shape the parable’s plea for atonement.

Coming to Church: Humility, Mercy, and True Worship(Bellshill and Bothwell Parish Church) highlights cultural and architectural context: the temple (and many churches) stood on the city's high point and was physically approached "up"—so the preacher reads the parable’s setting as meaningful for how people "go up" to worship; he also explains the Pharisee’s identity (literally "separated one") and the social-historical contempt toward tax collectors—greedy collaborators with Roman occupiers—helping listeners understand why the tax collector’s posture is so counterintuitive and therefore the parable’s point so subversive to first-century expectations.

Luke 18:14 Cross-References in the Bible:

"Sermbr title: Embracing Humility: The Journey of Faith and Dependence"(Trinity Church of Sunnyvale) links Luke 18:14 to James 4:7–10 (especially v.10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”), Luke 15 (the prodigal son’s repentance and the older son’s rival self‑righteousness), 1 John 1:9 (confession leads to forgiveness and cleansing), and John 17:3 (eternal life as relational knowing of God), using James to show the daily posture of humility, Luke 15 to illustrate repentance’s humility and restoration, 1 John to stress confession as necessary to restoration, and John 17 to remind listeners that justification and exaltation are rooted in relationship with God rather than moral achievement—together these references frame Luke 18:14 as both repentant posture and relational restoration rather than merely ethical instruction.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility: The Path to God's Kingdom"(Kingsland Colchester) weaves Luke 18:14 into its immediate literary context by pairing the parable with Luke 18:15–17 (Jesus welcoming children) to show thematic continuity (childlike dependence), and also appeals to Romans 6 and the symbolism of baptism (dying and rising with Christ) to explain how the posture of tipping back is matched by the narrative of dying and resurrection that the believer “trades into” — these cross‑references are used to argue that humility is both the moment of reception and the gateway to new identity in Christ.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility Through Unconditional Election and Grace"(Desiring God) grounds Luke 18:14 in a network of Pauline and wisdom texts—1 Corinthians 1:27 (“God chose what is low…to bring to nothing the things that are”), Ephesians 1:4–6 and 2:8–9 (unconditional election and salvation by grace, not works), James 3:14 (warning against bitter jealousy and boasting), James 4:13–16 (boasting about tomorrow), and Romans 7 (Paul’s anguished awareness of indwelling sin)—using these passages to argue doctrines of grace are intended to destroy boasting, that human hearts will still pervert doctrine into pride, and that Luke 18:14’s promise/exhortation must shape doctrine’s pastoral application.

"Sermon title: Balancing Reverence and Inclusivity in Worship Attire"(Desiring God) pairs Luke 18:14 with several Old and New Testament texts—Isaiah 57:15 (God’s transcendence and presence with the contrite), Romans 11:22 (kindness and severity of God), Hebrews 12:28 (acceptable worship with reverence and awe), and James 2 (warning against partiality in assembly)—using Isaiah and Hebrews to argue that worship should embody both God’s majesty and his nearness, Romans to temper worship with sober fear, and James 2 to insist that humility in dress must be paired with hospitality to the poor so Luke 18:14 informs both attitude and practice in corporate worship.

Embracing Humility: The Path to True Greatness(The Father's House) repeatedly ties Luke 18:14 to other Scriptures to shape meaning: Galatians 6:4 (healthy, non‑comparative pride) is used to distinguish godly pride from sinful pride; Matthew 23:5 is invoked to critique performative religion (the Pharisaical concern with outward show); Philippians 2:5–8 is cited to model Christ’s humility (Christ “made himself of no reputation”); Proverbs and passages quoted (e.g., “pride breeds quarrels,” and the Proverbs/Proverbs‑like list of things the Lord hates — a proud heart high in the list) are marshaled to show pride’s moral weight and God's disdain for it.

[Oct 19, 2025] Lord Have Mercy(Novation Church) brings multiple biblical cross‑references to bear: 1 John (the apostle’s assurance that we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ, the atoning sacrifice) is used to explain how the tax collector’s plea anticipates Christ’s atoning work; Romans (especially Romans 3 and Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith) and Galatians are appealed to teach that justification is by faith apart from works; James 4:6 (quoting Proverbs: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”) is used to show pride blocks grace; Psalm 51 and other penitential texts are appealed to underpin repentance as a contrite heart that God will not reject.

10/26/25 - 9:30 Sunday Mass | Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time(St Dominic's Catholic Church San Francisco) references the structure of Torah‑law categories (the Ten Commandments, moral law) and the biblical concept of friendship with God (implicit in Jesus’ call to hope and relationship), using those canonical categories to argue that hope — not moral bragging — opens the way to friendship and thus to divine restoration.

Living Prayerfully: Humility, Help, and Hope in Christ(CedarCreekChurch) weaves several biblical cross-references into his reading of Luke 18:14: he places the parable beside Psalm 121 (the "coffee-cup" verse) and argues Psalm 121’s trust language must be read after the desperate cry of Psalm 120 (pilgrims’ plea), he invokes Psalm 23 to assert God's presence "in the valley" as well as on the heights, cites Genesis 3 to show humanity's perennial glory-hunger ("you will be like God"), notes the Greek atonement wording appears elsewhere in Hebrews (linking the tax collector’s plea to the mercy-seat/atonement tradition), and uses the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8) to model Jesus’ kneeling, restorative approach—each reference supports the sermon's thesis that prayer discloses need, invites atonement, and replaces performance with mercy.

Coming to Church: Humility, Mercy, and True Worship(Bellshill and Bothwell Parish Church) explicitly links the tax collector’s plea to Psalm 51 ("Have mercy on me, O God") and explains how that penitential psalm’s language and posture illuminate the seven-word prayer in Luke 18:13; the sermon uses Psalm 51 to show the scriptural precedent for simplicity, brokenness, and the expectation that confession invites divine forgiveness, thereby reinforcing why the tax collector leaves justified while the Pharisee does not.

Luke 18:14 Christian References outside the Bible:

"Sermbr title: Embracing Humility: The Journey of Faith and Dependence"(Trinity Church of Sunnyvale) explicitly draws on 12‑step recovery literature (the Oxford Group origins, the “Big Book,” and the 12 by 12/12‑step Sponsorship guides) to interpret Luke 18:14 as the spiritual posture necessary for sustained change, citing the 12‑step phrasing of admitting powerlessness, turning one’s will over to God, and humbly asking God to remove defects as concrete outworkings of the tax‑collector’s humility; the sermon uses those recovery formulations to make the biblical teaching operational for listeners struggling with entrenched behaviors.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility: The Path to God's Kingdom"(Kingsland Colchester) cites Dietrich Bonhoeffer (on Christians’ reluctance to admit sin and thus loneliness in sin) and Paul Tillich (quoted on grace striking in moments of despair), using Bonhoeffer to warn against solitary hypocrisy and Tillich to articulate how grace meets our deepest restlessness, thereby reinforcing Luke 18:14’s call to honest dependence by appealing to 20th‑century theological witness about confession, community, and the reception of grace.

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility Through Unconditional Election and Grace"(Desiring God) cites Jonathan Edwards (quoted on “broken‑hearted” gracious affections) to underscore that true humility manifests as brokenhearted love and lowliness of behavior; Edwards’ imagery is used to press Luke 18:14 toward affective, inward humility (not merely correct doctrine) so that right belief produces the humble disposition the parable commends.

Embracing Humility: The Path to True Greatness(The Father's House) explicitly cites Oswald Sanders (a twentieth‑century Christian author) on pride, quoting or summarizing his definition that pride “is the practice of thinking and speaking about yourself, magnifying your own attainments or importance and relating everything to yourself rather than to God or God's people,” and the sermon uses Sanders’ aphorism to reinforce the pastoral diagnosis that pride reframes faith as self‑promotion rather than dependence on God.

Coming to Church: Humility, Mercy, and True Worship(Bellshill and Bothwell Parish Church) invokes a well-known saying often attributed to St. Augustine—"the church is not a museum for saints, it is a hospital for sinners"—and uses it explicitly to shape pastoral application of Luke 18:14, arguing that Augustine's (or at least traditional) pastoral framing supports the sermon’s claim that church should be a place of mercy and healing rather than a stage for self-justification; the quote is deployed to reorient congregational self-understanding toward humble reception rather than moral exhibition.

Luke 18:14 Illustrations from Secular Sources:

"Sermon title: Embracing Humility: The Path to God's Kingdom"(Kingsland Colchester) uses a rich array of secular and pop‑culture analogies to embody Luke 18:14’s teaching: the trust‑fall/tilt game (children tilting back to be caught) and trust exercises (and the visceral relief when you pass the point of no return) to make “posture” visceral; adventure metaphors (skydiving, bungee jumping, roller coasters) to explain why humans crave that surrender; a humorous “life cycle of a pot of bubbles” sketch to show children’s inability to manage certain tasks and why they rely on adults; and contemporary cultural examples (individualism/branding, “my news” personalization, and the sudden visibility of Liverpool football fans after a title win) to illustrate the pressures to self‑authorship and the human desire to join a better story — each secular image is described in detail and used to make the parable’s reversal concrete for modern listeners.

Embracing Humility: The Path to True Greatness(The Father's House) uses a string of vivid secular and personal images to make Luke 18:14 concrete: he compares Pharisaical self‑promotion to social‑media behavior (90 million selfies daily, staged Bible‑study photos) and to the modern performance culture that posts polished highlights rather than vulnerably confessing needs; he shares a personal testimony about losing possessions and driving an old Mazda to illustrate learning contentment and humility; and he recounts the well‑known stunt performer (misnamed in the transcript as “Nick Vanda Valinda,” clearly referring to tightrope‑walker Nik Wallenda) who, after walking the Grand Canyon, spent hours picking up trash — a secular exemplar used to show how deliberate menial acts keep one grounded and humble.

[Oct 19, 2025] Lord Have Mercy(Novation Church) opens with a secular cultural clip (Tim Allen’s scene from the movie The Santa Clause 2) to introduce universal human longings for approval and significance, then uses nostalgic toy references (Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, old vibrating football toys) to show how trivialities can expose our craving for attention; he also tells a domestic anecdote about a stuck garage‑door handle to symbolize how pride “locks us out” of grace and humility “puts the handle back on,” making the theological point through an everyday, secular image.

Off the Stage(Christ Church UCC Des Plaines) uses a suite of secular and popular-culture illustrations to dramatize Luke 18:14: the preacher opens with The Truman Show to picture a life scripted for audiences—a metaphor for Pharisaical performance—then recounts a viral video of a pastor shaming a donor to show how religious settings can become venues of public humiliation and greed (illustrating the Pharisee’s contempt and hypocrisy), invokes the Disney film Encanto (Mirabel’s hidden worth) to critique conditional love and comparison in communities, and brings in King George VI’s struggle (from film/history) as an example of leadership formed in humility rather than spectacle; each example is detailed and used to show how public performance, comparison, and control are antithetical to the humble, private plea that Luke commends.

Living Prayerfully: Humility, Help, and Hope in Christ(CedarCreekChurch) deploys secular and historical analogies to illuminate the parable's human backdrop and motive-structures: he references a Miley Cyrus lyric humorously when discussing misplaced motivational frameworks, appeals to Roman gladiatorial and Anglo-Saxon "glory" literature (Beowulf) and the modern "American dream" as cultural exemplars of humanity’s longstanding hunger for glory (to explain why the Pharisee’s posture is so ubiquitous), and uses a Nick Saban recruiting analogy about surrounding high-drive performers to illustrate the Pharisee’s tendency to separate and elevate—each secular/historical illustration is tied back to Luke 18:14 to show how the Pharisee’s search for affirmation is a cross-cultural, cross-era temptation that humility-and-prayer subverts.