Luke 18:13-14

But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Read all of Luke 18 · Words of Christ are set in red.

5 songs meet this passage

  • “Father, forgive me if I forget to draw the line”

    A*****e (feat. Skylar Grey) · Eminem

    resonates with Luke 18:13-14

    A fleeting moment resembling the tax collector's plea for mercy, though here it's tossed off rather than lingered in.

  • “I know Saint Peter won't call my name”

    Viva La Vida · Coldplay

    strains against Luke 18:13-14

    The tax collector's humble plea for mercy is answered; the king's fear of exclusion shows he has not yet reached that posture of repentance.

  • “I only talk to God when I need a favor”

    Need a Favor · Jelly Roll

    resonates with Luke 18:13

    The tax collector's plea 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner' mirrors this same posture of unworthy but honest appeal.

  • The Master's Call · Marty Robbins

    resonates with Luke 18:13

    His desperate cry for mercy in the face of death mirrors the tax collector's unadorned plea, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.'

  • Sky's the Limit (feat. 112) [Amended] · The Notorious B.I.G.

    resonates with Luke 18:13

    Amid all the bravado, this line is a genuine, almost tax-collector-like cry for mercy, an honest admission of sin seeking grace.

Each reading weighs one song’s words against Scripture. It is AI-assisted and can be wrong; open a song to see its whole reading and decide for yourself.