Luke 18:14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
The setting
Jesus concluding His parable to self-righteous listeners. Capernaum area, northern Israel, ~30 AD.
The emotion here: passionate about exposing religious hypocrisy
The original word
dikaioo (δικαιόω) — to declare righteous, justify legally before God
Why it matters
Pharisees fasted twice weekly and gave tithes of everything, even garden herbs
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 18:14
The tax collector went home 'justified' - a legal term meaning declared righteous in God's court
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just about being modest, but Jesus is teaching about the fundamental basis of salvation - grace through humility, not works through pride.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 18:14
Bible Genome reading
Luke 18:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 18:14 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is growing, with a comfort power of 80% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include justification, humility. Notable phrases: went down justified; exalts himself will be humbled; humbles himself will be exalted. This verse contains a promise of God.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same growing
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
— Proverbs 22:6
“So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
— Romans 10:17
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
— John 3:30
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
— Galatians 6:2
“He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.”
— Genesis 15:6
Your reflection
What does Luke 18:14 mean to you, today?
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