Two Men Pray: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 18:9-14

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

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Luke 18:9-14 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 18:9-14 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Can you share a time when you felt very proud or very thankful? What happened?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will hear a story Jesus told about two men who went to pray. One man was proud, and the other was humble. We will learn why it is good to be humble before God.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

cheat: (verb) To do something dishonest to get what you want.
commit adultery: (phrase) To have sex with someone who is not your husband or wife.
fast: (verb) To go without food for a time to pray and honor God.
humble: (adjective) Not thinking you are more important than others.
look down on: (phrase) To think that another person is bad or not as good as you are.
mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
right with God: (phrase) Having a good relationship with God because he has forgiven your sins.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

cheat: (verb) To do something dishonest to get what you want.
commit adultery: (phrase) To have sex with someone who is not your husband or wife.
fast: (verb) To go without food for a time to pray and honor God.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
humble: (adjective) Not thinking you are more important than others.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
look down on: (phrase) To think that another person is bad or not as good as you are.
look up: (verb) To turn your eyes toward the sky or something high.
make themselves humble: (phrase) To act in a quiet way and not try to show off to others.
make themselves important: (phrase) To act like you are better or more powerful than other people.
mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
prayer: (noun) The words we say when we talk to God.
right with God: (phrase) Having a good relationship with God because he has forgiven your sins.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
steal: (verb) To take something that does not belong to you.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
thank: (verb) To tell someone you are happy for what they did.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

alone: (adjective) Being without any other people.
away: (adverb) At a distance from a place.
before: (preposition) In front of someone or something.
being: (verb) To exist or the state of something happening.
better: (adjective) More good than something else.
both: (adjective) Two people or things together.
cheat: (verb) To do something dishonest to get what you want.
commit adultery: (phrase) To have sex with someone who is not your husband or wife.
else: (adverb) Different or more.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
everyone: (pronoun) Every person in a group.
everything: (pronoun) All things that exist.
fast: (verb) To go without food for a time to pray and honor God.
felt: (verb) To have had a sensation in your body or an emotion in your heart.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
give: (verb) To hand something over to another person.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
home: (noun) The place where a person lives.
humble: (adjective) Not thinking you are more important than others.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
look down on: (phrase) To think that another person is bad or not as good as you are.
look up: (phrase) To turn your eyes toward the sky or something high.
made: (verb) To have created or built something.
make themselves humble: (phrase) To act in a quiet way and not try to show off to others.
make themselves important: (phrase) To act like you are better or more powerful than other people.
mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
prayer: (noun) The words we say when we talk to God.
right with God: (phrase) Having a good relationship with God because he has forgiven your sins.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
some: (pronoun) A few people.
steal: (verb) To take something that does not belong to you.
stood: (verb) To have been on your feet.
story: (noun) A description of people and events that happened.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.
teach: (verb) To help someone learn how to do something.
tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
than: (conjunction) A word used to compare two things.
thought: (verb) To have used your mind.
time: (noun) A specific moment or event.
twice: (adverb) Two times.
used: (verb) To have done something with a thing to reach a goal or finish a task.
very: (adverb) In a high degree.
week: (noun) A period of seven days.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
would: (verb) A word used to talk about something that might happen or something someone wanted to do.

Summary of the Passage

This passage is about a story Jesus told. Jesus often told stories called parables to teach people about God. In this story, two men went to the Temple, which was a special place to pray and worship God. One man was a Pharisee. A Pharisee was a religious leader who followed many strict rules. The other man was a tax collector. In Jesus’ time, people did not like tax collectors. Tax collectors worked for the government, but they would often cheat people to take extra money for themselves.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed. He told God how good he was. He said he was not like other people who steal, cheat, or commit adultery. He even said he was better than the tax collector. He talked about how he would fast. When someone fasts, they go without food for a time to honor God. He also bragged about giving a tithe. A tithe is 10% of all the money a person earns. He was very proud.

The tax collector stood far away. He was very humble. He did not even look up to heaven. He hit his chest because he was so sad about his sins. He prayed a short prayer. He asked God to show him mercy because he was a sinner. He knew he was not perfect and needed God to forgive him.

Jesus said that it was the tax collector who went home right with God. This means God forgave him and was happy with him. The Pharisee was not right with God because he was proud. This story teaches us that God loves it when we are humble. He listens to people who are sorry for their mistakes. People who try to make themselves important will be made humble, but those who are humble will be made important by God!

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Being Right With God
9 There were some people who thought they were very good and looked down on everyone else.
Jesus used this story to teach them:
10 “One time there was a Pharisee and a tax collector.
One day they both went to the Temple to pray.
11 The Pharisee stood alone, away from the tax collector.
When the Pharisee prayed, he said,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not as bad as other people.
I am not like men who steal, cheat, or commit adultery.
I thank you that I am better than this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of everything I get!’
13 “The tax collector stood alone too.
But when he prayed, he would not even look up to heaven.
He felt very humble before God.
He said,
‘O God, have mercy on me.
I am a sinner!’
14 I tell you, when this man finished his prayer and went home, he was right with God.
But the Pharisee, who felt that he was better than others, was not right with God.
People who make themselves important will be made humble.
But those who make themselves humble will be made important.”
Luke 18:9-14 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 18:9-14 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 18:9-14 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 18:9-14 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 18:9-14 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)

Luke 18:9-14 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who is telling this story?
Who were the two men who went to the temple to pray?
What did the Pharisee say in his prayer?
Why did the Pharisee think he was better than others?
What did the tax collector do when he prayed?
What did the tax collector ask God for?
Who did Jesus say went home right with God?
What does this story teach about people who are proud?
What does this story teach about people who are humble?

Application Questions

Have you ever acted like the Pharisee in this story? How did it feel?
Have you ever felt like the tax collector, sorry for something you did? What did you do?
Why do you think God loves it when people are humble?
How can you pray with a humble heart this week?