The Pharisee, having stood to himself, was praying like this, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortionists, lawbreakers, adulterers, or even as this customs official.’
Luke 18:11
This Pharisee was providing the Lord with a laundry list of his own sins. The Pharisees were a sort of racketeering group that had set up shop and were able to extort from any one that they pleased. Although many of them pretended to be unaware of their own hypocrisy, they knew exactly what they were doing.
The Pharisee goes on to say that he was not a lawbreaker or an adulterer. These two convey the idea of those who are not keeping the law, and those who are spiritually unfaithful to God, both sins of which the Pharisees were guilty.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for us. Though we are so often hypocritical, You work in our lives. Without the grace brought to our lives by the cross, and the Holy Spirit living within us, we could never defeat sin. You have made a way to escape the horrible fate to whcih we would otherwise succumb. We will sing of your glory in this for all of eternity! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.