A Sermon on the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican

The present Sunday in the Church’s order is called the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican. It is named thus because today the Gospel reads the Lord’s parable about the Pharisee and the publican. In the parable, using the example of the publican and the Pharisee, the Lord teaches us what disposition of spirit we must have when we pray in the Church, or wherever we may be. Let us listen to how the Pharisee prayed and how the publican prayed; which of them pleased God with his prayer and which did not; how one pleased and how the other did not, so that we too may learn to always pray in a way pleasing to God, and not to our own condemnation. Prayer is a great work: through prayer man communicates with God, receives from Him various gifts of grace; he thanks Him as the Benefactor for His ceaseless mercies, or glorifies Him as the all-perfect Creator.

The Pharisee and the publican prayed in the temple. Two men went up into the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee prayed thus: God, I thank You that I am not as other men, robbers, cheaters, adulterers, or like this publican. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get. The publican did not pray like that at all. He said not much, but grieved greatly over his sins; he did not raise his head before others, but with face bowed to the earth, from strong sorrow he struck himself on the chest and said only: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Lk 18:13) Whose prayer was pleasing to the Lord and whose was not, everyone knows: the publican went from the temple to his home more justified (Lk 18:14) though he was a sinner, while the Pharisee did not, though he was performing works of legal righteousness.

What then made the publican’s prayer pleasing to God? The fact that he was humble and had a contrite heart in his prayer; and long ago the holy prophet and king David said that “a broken and humble heart God will not despise.” (Ps 50:19)

But why did the Pharisee’s prayer prove displeasing to God? Ah! little discernment is needed to answer this correctly. “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight,” (Is 5:21) says God through the prophet. The Pharisee in blind conceit and pride forgot who he was and with whom he was speaking: the sinner imagined himself righteous; the sinner forgot that he was speaking with the All-seeing and the All-just.

My God! what do our good deeds mean, which we sometimes dare to boast of before men and before Your face? Every good deed of ours is of little account, because, passing through an unclean heart, it borrows from it for the most part some uncleanness—uncleanness of little faith, unbelief, self-love, pretense, vanity, pride, impatience, irritability, and so on. And further, a good deed is done by us with God’s help as it is; without the Lord, according to His word, we “cannot do anything.” (Jn 15:5) It is certain that each of us has incomparably more sins than good deeds. How then shall I remember on my knees my few good deeds even if they were done with God’s help, when I have incomparably more evil deeds? No, I will rather shed a tear of repentance over my sins. I will pour out a warm prayer to the Lord and tell Him my sorrows, for my soul is full of grief and my life draws near to the grave (Canticle of Supplication to the Mother of God, Song 6, Heirmos). As for my good deeds, if I have done any, I will say nothing about them or forget them completely before God’s face, so that I might not imagine myself righteous and deserving of reward from Him for my virtues. I must remember the words of the Lord, which I must say after performing every good deed: “When you have done all that was commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have only done what we were obliged to do.” (Lk 17:10) How shall I recount others’ sins when I have sins without number? No, I will not act so foolishly; I will not be so greatly deceived by self-love and see in myself only what is good while neglecting what is bad. Otherwise the passion of self-love and pride will easily take hold of me, and I will indeed see in myself only good, as the Pharisee did, and forget much that is evil. No, it is better that I often say to the Lord: Grant me to see my transgressions and not to judge my brother (Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian). In such a disposition of spirit, brethren, let us all pray, and our prayer will be pleasing to the Lord and will serve us to salvation. In prayer, whether in the church or at home, humility before God and before men is absolutely necessary. Should not a sinner humble himself? The Lord has mercy on the humble and saves them. “When I humbled myself, He saved me,” (Ps 114:6) says David. God, be merciful to us sinners. Amen.