The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

This short essay is taken from a “Lenten Reflection for Kids” I wrote a few years ago. I hope it is edifying.

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

Memory Verse: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ” Matthew 11:29

Gospel Text: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up 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 every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:10-14

The Lenten Triodion service book is venerated At Saturday Vespers the night before the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. From now on, we will use its special prayers and texts. Lent is now three weeks away, but the church in its grace wisely begins preparing us for the journey we will soon take.

The story of the Publican and the Pharisee is the Gospel text for the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. In it, we hear the prayer of the Pharisee who thanks God that he is not like “other men” and then begins to tell God all the “good things” he does. The Pharisee’s prayer is not a good example of humility because he has reduced his worship of God into a set of actions, fasting, tithing, which he feels make him worthy before God. In a way, the Pharisee is “showing off” before God, and his prayer not only shows a lack of humility but he also separates himself from other men.

The Publican or tax collector is also praying in the temple, but his prayer is very different from the Pharisee’s. We read that he is “beating his breast” and asking God to be merciful to him, calling himself a sinner. The Publican is not showing off for God; he is instead humbling himself, and knows that nothing he does could justify him before God. It is important that we learn to be humble as the Pharisee was, because humility is a divine trait. God himself is humble, because He is perfect and does not need to “show off.” Anyone who stays close to God takes in some of His humility and becomes more beautiful. The Virgin Mary and all the saints are good examples of those who have become truly humble by staying close to God.

Jesus himself said: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). This would be a good verse to memorize and think about as we begin Lent. Humility or being “lowly in heart” is the foundation for Lent and is its fruit.

This week, in preparation for Lent, we will not fast so that we will not look at our actions as something to make us look good before God. As we prepare for Lent, we need to look at our lives and the ways in which we “show off” before God and our fellow men. We must remember the lesson the Publican and the Pharisee teach us. This lesson is illustrated beautifully by the Kontakion for The Publican and the Pharisee:

Kontakion of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee 

Let us flee the bragging of the Pharisee,
and learn the humility of the Publican,
while crying out unto the Savior with groanings:
Be gracious unto us, O Thou Who alone dost already forgive.

*Sources for this reflection and those to follow:

Allen, Joseph. Reflections on the Issue of Fasting in Great Lent. Retrieved 8/2006 from: http://www.antiochian.org/1105801760?keywords=Great%20Lent

Hopko, Tom. (1981). The Orthodox Faith. Retrieved 8/2006 from: http://www.oca.org/OCorthfaith.asp?SID=2

Mastrantonis, George. The Great Lent: A Week by Week Meaning. Retrieved 8/2006 from: http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8126.asp

Schmemann, A. (1969). Great Lent. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.

Steenburg, M.C. (2001). Not Like Other Men, Reflections on the Sunday of the Publi-can and the Pharisee. Retrieved 8/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Sunday_of_the_Publican_and_Pharisee

Steenburg, M.C. (2001). All to No Purpose I Have Left True Home, Reflections on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Retrieved 9/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Sunday_of_the_Prodigal_Son

Steenburg, M.C. (2001). Sunday of the Last Judgement, Reflections on the Christian Fear of God. Retrieved 9/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Sunday_of_Last_Judgement

Steenburg, M.C. (2003). At the Threshold of the Fast, Reflections on the Sunday of Forgiveness. Retrieved 9/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Forgiveness_Sunday

Steenburg, M.C. (2006). John Klimakos: On Repentance That Leads to Joy. Retrieved 11/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/John_Klimakos:_On_Repentance_that_Leads_to_Joy

Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. Retrieved 9/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Andrew_of_Crete%2C_Great_Canon_of_Repentance

The Sermon of St. Tikhon on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Retrieved 9/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Tikhon%2C_Metropolitan_of_Moscow:_Homily_on_the_Triumph_of_Orthodoxy

Gregory Palamas, On Holy Icons. Retrieved 9/2006 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Gregory_Palamas%2C_On_the_Holy_Icons

Seventh Ecumenical Council. (2006). Retrieved 10/2006 from: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Seventh_Ecumenical_Council

Gregory Palamas. (2006). Retrieved 10/2006 from: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Gregory_Palamas

St. Gregory Palamas The Archbishop of Thessalonica (2006). Retrieved 11/2006 from: http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=103303

John Climacus. (2006). Retrieved 11/2006 from: http://orthodoxwiki.org/John_Climacus

Mary of Egypt: Festal Hymns and Introductory Notes. (2006). Retrieved 1/2007 from: http://www.monachos.net/library/Mary_of_Egypt%2C_Festal_Hymns_and_introductory_notes

Mary of Egypt. (2006). Retrieved 1/2007 from: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Mary_of_Egypt

The Legend of the Dogwood. Retrieved 1/2007 from: http://www.the4cs.com/~cathy/Photography/dogwood.html

All Biblical Quotations: Revised Standard Version taken from: http://etext.virginia.edu/rsv.browse.html