Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

Peter H. Davids

Byzantine Catholic Homilies • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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The problem with the Pharisee and the tax collector is that the first compared himself with socially ostracized evil and touted his own party’s piety, while the other realized he was a sinner before God and thus called on God’s mercy - and received it. This is why Paul tells Timothy to consider his foundations in faith taught at home, his further instruction by Paul himself, and the proof of Paul’s integrity by how Paul had suffered patiently for good. Thus we should compare ourselves with true

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Title

The Deceived and the Humble

Outline

Now what is the problem with the tax collector and the Pharisee?

Pharisees were not ignorant of truth; in fact, Jesus elsewhere tells his followers to do what they teach, just not what they do.

On the other hand, tax collectors were not necessarily unscrupulous or impious. If one was in the temple, he was certainly at least seeking God.

The problem is their point of reference

The Pharisee compares his relative piety, not with God or great saints, but with the really evil folk he knew of, “I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector,” and he may have been wrong about the last one. And he picked out his virtues according to Pharisaic rules: “I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.” Therefore he was self-deceived, as Paul says, “evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived.”

The tax collector compares himself with God’s character and realizes that he has not yet arrived and yet God is merciful, so says, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ The point is that he humbles himself as anyone will who knows God.

Now Timothy had gotten the point

He knew that “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” That was his start, his first point of comparison. Then he had been taught by Paul, who can therefore say to him, “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it.” And the proof that Paul was a good example is that he lived what he taught: “you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, my sufferings, what befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. [Paul then adds:] Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” It was not a comfortable life; it was a godly life, and you recognize a godly life in how someone suffers.

So let us watch ourselves

If we catch ourselves patting ourselves on the back because we are not as bad as others or cherry picking our virtues to puff out our chests before God, we are in trouble. We are among the deceived. And I have heard too many confessions not to realize that the deceived are in the church.

But if we catch ourselves longing to be like Jesus, or desiring to be as holy and merciful as our Father in heaven, or if we long for the virtues of the saints, perhaps praying for them - for instance, I ask St Seraphim of Sarov for help daily - we will realize how far we have to go and yet sense God’s mercy at work in us, for we are making the right comparisons and therefore seeing clearly to go in the right direction.

Thanks be to God who has not left us without such enlightening examples so that in our humility he can justify us.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (1-21-2024: Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee)

SUNDAY,January 21, 2024 | TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 2-25-2024: Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

SUNDAY OF THE PUBLICAN AND PHARISEE

Matins Gospel Luke 24:12–35 (38th Sunday)

Epistle 2 Timothy 3:10–15

Gospel Luke 18:10–14

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