This past Sunday was the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Gospel reading is from a parable of Jesus,
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14
We have a picture of two different men, two different types of hearts. I hear the story, and I want to have the humility of the publican with the good deeds of the pharisee. I know the truth, though. I have few of the pharisee’s good deeds, but much of his arrogant heart. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!
What hope is there for those of us with the arrogant hearts of pharisees? Continuing in the epistle of St. James we read,
“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.”
At first glance, these are some harsh words for the rich man, the man of pride, the person of the passions and earthly gain. And perhaps they are harsh, but if so they are harsh for our own help. Looking closer, however, something strikes me as funny: James not only instructs the lowly brother to glory in his exaltation, but also for the rich man to glory in his humiliation! Who glories in their humiliation? It just doesn’t seem to fit.
We people of proud hearts, ensnared by the passions, should rejoice in our humiliation, because our humiliation and repentance are also our salvation. Christ has come to heal us of that terrible disease pride. Christ is our sun, and his “burning heat” is his love for us. Upon his resurrection, his love for us will wither the grasses and weeds of the passions that choke our faith. The flower of our pride will wither and fall beneath Christ’s love, and the attractive appearance of its sin will perish. Our humiliation is for our healing. Glory to God!
St. Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18,
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
During the upcoming Lenten fast, let us glory in our humiliation and give thanks to God. Let’s remember that we fast from earthly things that do not bring us life in order that we may have place for He who abundantly gives life to all. May the Lord bless you and give you strength of body and heart throughout the fast, and throughout this life. Amen.



