The Pharisee and the Tax collector

The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus...

He comes to the temple and has no desire to be part of the fellowship of the people of God. His time at the temple, his prayer, his religion, is a matter for himself alone. He neither needs nor is interested in needing, the rest of the community of believers.

I think it is all too easy to imitate the Pharisee's position - "by himself" - no desire to really connect with anyone else in the temple, a certain sense of personal distance leads to a personal sense of self confidence. You can be part of a "church" and yet find yourself "praying alone". I wonder what influence this initial positioning, this "standing by himself", had on the rest of his prayer.