On the Matter of the Publican and the Pharisee
By St. Andrew of Crete
By St. Andrew of Crete
The content of the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14) constitutes something like training and preparation for those who want to approach sacred humility, which is contained in all the virtues upon which the Kingdom of Heaven is truly based, and to abstain from God-hating arrogance, which prevents man from every Christ-loving virtue. Who, then, would not desire to imitate the Publican and his return and repentance and would not turn away from the arrogance of the Pharisee, since humility is associated with Christ, and arrogance with the proud demon?
Arrogance is undoubtedly what made the first of the angels, who was also called Lucifer, a devil. It expelled the forefather Adam from Paradise. “He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the humble.” “The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” It condemns Pharaoh: “The fool said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” It brought down Nebuchadnezzar, because “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve;” and “you shall make no graven image.” And if the disease is weakened, the habit becomes the passion. Truly, pride is a fever that numbs the sensitivity of the sick person, a terrible disease of the soul that provokes a person to fall; it is dropsy, full of fluid and air.
"For who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not received his soul in vain." Such was the vanity and the haughtiness of Tyre, which, taking away from it even the last ounce of grace, left it like dry land. You certainly know this both by word and by experience; the arrogant does not feel the need for the perfecting grace of God and therefore is arid and dry, since he lacks vital warmth and life-giving moisture. In him, as in a stripped tree, the nightingale devil makes his nest.
And in a word, humility is the food of virtues, the beginning and end and foremost of the beauty of Christian piety. It is the extinction of passions, the preservation of moisture in the root of faith. Humility coexists with the fear of God, which chases away iniquity, as both Jeremiah and Solomon said. It is true that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” This makes the Publican a preacher of the Spirit, while arrogance makes the Pharisee an empty drum that beats in vain. Truly, the hypocrite is like the pomegranates of Sodom, a melon beautiful on the outside, but rotten and unlovely on the inside.
The Publican went up to the Temple, and indeed he went up both physically and psychically. The Pharisee went up to the Temple physically, but not psychically. For the one went up by descending psychically with humility, while the other went down psychically by ascending with pride. The one went up with “ascents in his heart” according to David, that is, he took the path that leads to Paradise, while the other went down by descending to Lucifer, the leader of pride. One ascended by ascension and surrender to virtues, while the other descended from virtues and from them passed into vices.
Many come into the Temple, but few share in its sanctity, because they are not worthy of the house of God. The arrogant “does not abide in love, and whoever does not abide in love does not abide in God” according to John. While he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him, and is a temple of God, according to Paul. The people who mainly enter the sacred temple of God, are those in whom God also acts in a special way. But God illumines only infants and little ones, according to the psalmist David. For “where there is humility, there is wisdom” according to Solomon; wisdom of faith and wisdom of action.
This wisdom was lacking in the Pharisee, for this reason, like a hypocrite who is grateful to God only for external things, he inwardly becomes ungrateful to God. Because he does not keep the commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The word “I thank you” was good, because the Pharisee did not attribute virtue to himself, like Nebuchadnezzar and Shemaiah and Peter; Lucifer and Adam had fallen into this pride. However, he thought that he had what he did not have; and if he had it, he lost it through pride. For even he who has must confess that he does not have it and say “I am a worthless servant,” because “no living person will be justified before you.”
Indeed, he who does not humble himself rejects virtue, and he who does not love despises. Truly, pride is the beginning of every kind of sin. Envy follows it, and envy leads to murder; because of this Absalom saw his father as an enemy and hastened to kill him. Thus the hidden evil is worse than the open one, and is no different from the devil, who deceived the first-formed with the serpent.
Therefore, the openly wicked is justified, and the secretly wicked is condemned. Because the one has only evil ways, while the other is followed by falsehood and deceit, and therefore the extreme truth drives him away. This is because love is what characterizes the elect, according to the Second Epistle of Peter, the first chapter of Paul to the Ephesians, and the third to the Colossians, while enmity is what condemns.
The Publican recognized his sin and was justified by running away from it. That is why he lives, according to Ezekiel. David also lived this life, as Nathan revealed to him. The Pharisee did not recognize his sin and ran away from life. And pay attention again to what the Gospel says: “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a Publican”; as an example of people who justify themselves and undermine those who sin. The Lord presents the Pharisee as an example of the proud, and the Publican as an example of those who sin, but pray and confess with a broken heart, so that He may teach us all to hate pride, and to love humility.
Christ clearly shows by this parable that righteousness and virtue are great and bring man close to God, but when combined with pride, they cast man into the lowest depths. This is what the Pharisee suffered, and for this reason he was condemned and ended in loss. For injustice and sin are abominable and hateful and heavier than any evil and distance man from God. Whereas humility through repentance and confession justifies him and makes him worthy of salvation, and brings him and places him close to God. This is what the Publican did, and for this reason he was justified and made worthy of salvation.
“The Pharisee stood (after he had stood, for a while) to himself, and said, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers.'” Alas, what pride! The Lord and Isaiah criticize her, because she brought Joseph down to Egypt and caused Pharaoh to be arrogant and subsequently all the evils that then befell Egypt; she became the reason for her “memorial to be lost with a sound” according to the sacred psalmist David and for her memory not to be perpetuated. Woe to the most arrogant mouth: "I am not," he says, "like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this Publican here." As the beginning of pride, hubris appears; for whoever despises others and considers them as nothing and abhors them, others as poor, others as of humble origin, others as ignorant and simple, and still others as unjust and sinful, is carried away by this hubris and considers himself alone wise, prudent, noble, rich, powerful, just and superior to all men. Indeed, hubris is the beginning of pride, and pride is an evil born of hubris. Therefore, the infamous day of the Lord will avenge every slanderer and proud person, because these sins, as relatives, are punished in the same way.
The Pharisee showed both by his appearance and by his attitude the high-mindedness and arrogance that he had. And his words at the beginning were words of gratitude, for he said “God I thank you." However, after this, what he said was full of arrogance and pride. For he did not say: "You created me, my Lord, and with your help I am freed from all injustice and robbery and from other evils;" for it is said: What do you have that you did not receive?” But he considered all his achievements to be accomplished by his own power. Every man must know with certainty that without the help of God he cannot, nor does he have the power to accomplish anything good. “Without me,” says Christ, “you can do nothing.” And the Apostle says, “it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy;” and “not I, but the grace of God which is with me;” and “it is God which works in us both to will and to do.” And the Prophet says, “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”
Therefore the Publican was a garden in which flowed spiritual waters, and the Pharisee an oak without leaves, according to Isaiah and Solomon. For although we have been honored with the free will of choice, yet, without the alliance from above, we will not be able to accomplish any feat. “For I know,” he says, “that the way of man is not in himself, neither does man walk in his own path.” Therefore, let us not consider the victories in the races our own. Ours is only the choice for the best and the effort, but God’s is the realization of the good desire and disposition of him who does not have the ability by nature, but receives from Grace the ability to say “I can….” The opposite claim is self-praise and boasting. "For what do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"
"But the publican, standing afar off (he had stood a long time), would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God make atonement for me the sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified; for every one that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted." Because the Publican had no good works, he could not even enumerate them in his prayer like the Pharisee; but he beat his breast and scourged his heart and with great contrition and anguish he said: “God make atonement for me the sinner.” For this reason he is atoned for by the merciful and conciliatory Lord. For humility obliterates all sins, but pride obliterates all virtues, because it is greater and heavier than every sin and evil. It is better, when we sin, to return and humble ourselves, than to achieve something and then become haughty. The Publican was freed from sins, because he accepted the Pharisee’s accusation with meekness and patience, while the Pharisee fell from glory into the abyss of dishonor, because he justified himself and accused the Publican and other people. The Publican returned from a reprehensible life and sin to a blessed life and state, while the Pharisee was humbled because of the greatness of his haughtiness.
Two things are required of all men, to condemn our own sins and to forgive the sins of others. For he who sees his own sins forgives others more easily; while he who condemns others convicts and condemns himself, even if he has many virtues. Truly a great thing is not to condemn others, but ourselves, brethren. But we, leaving aside our own sins, criticize others in particular, and examine others, not knowing that even if we are more righteous than all, if we criticize others, we become guilty and are worthy of the same punishment and the same sufferings that he whom we judge deserves: “For with what judgment you judge,” He says, “you will be judged.” For he who commits fornication breaks the commandment, as does he who judges him. So both of them break the divine commandment, both he who commits fornication and he who judges.
But let us rather transfer the examination of others and the detailed concern to ourselves, beloved. And if we see some sinning, let us have our own sins before our eyes and consider our own worse than others. For he who sinned, perhaps at the hour of sin he repented, while we always remain incorrigible, criticizing and examining others. Lot, although he lived in Sodom, did not criticize anyone, did not accuse anyone. For this reason he was justified and saved from the fire and destruction to which the Sodomites were condemned. Let us therefore humble ourselves, condemning ourselves, and reproach ourselves so that we may be exalted and become blameless. Let us love humility. By it the Publican was justified and cast off the burden of his sins. Let us hate high-mindedness, because by it the Pharisee was condemned and lost the virtues he had. The Pharisee, because he did good things in a way that was not good, was condemned. The Publican, rejecting in a good way the unrighteous works, was justified. For God saw with sympathy the groaning of the Publican and his contrition and the beatings of his chest and after accepting the "make atonement for me" He justified him along with Abel. But the sacrifices and the virtues and the achievements of the boastful and proud Pharisee He despised and rejected and condemned him, like the brother-killer Cain, for the same reason. Let us learn, brethren, and be taught to do great achievements. However, let us not be arrogant about these things even if we become good, just and tolerant and patient and merciful, and so it may be, but let us humble ourselves and not be arrogant and conceited, lest we lose our labors and pains. For the Lord says, "When you have done all these things, say that we are unworthy servants, for we have done what was our duty to do."
It is a necessary and indispensable duty to offer to the God of all slavish humility, patience, submission, obedience, gratitude, thanksgiving, and to magnify and worship His all-holy will, and not to feel as if bitten by the rebukes and insults of others, nor to succumb to temptations, nor to be resentful when they accuse us, for from these we also reap much benefit. Let us learn and know, my brethren, the power and the strengthening and the help of humility. Let us learn the condemnation and the damage and the loss that pride causes: the shadow of Behemoth, according to Job, in the wet places and in the reeds and the deviation from the path of truth and the light of righteousness.
And because repentance and confession and contrition and tears and the groanings and anguish of our hearts are a great good, therefore I beg you to confess to God continually and to reveal your sins to Him. For if we present our conscience naked to Him and show Him the wounds of our souls and do not judge others, nor are we preyed upon by the insults of our fellow men, nor are we grieved by their accusations and injustices, the loving Lord will have pity on us and will treat us with the medicines of His sympathy and mercy; He will pour them into our wounds and heal us. Let us show our sins to the Lord, who does not shame, but heals; for even if we remain silent, He knows everything.
Let us therefore confess our sins, brethren, and confess them plainly to the Lord, that we may gain His favor. Let us leave our sins here, that we may go there clean and ready, and be admitted by the righteous Judge into his everlasting and eternal Kingdom, and inherit those future and eternal dwellings and the boundless joy and delight, which we may attain in Christ our God, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
