Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "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 

 

This week for those in the West (and also for the Armenian Apostolic Oriental Orthodox) is the beginning of Lent.  The readings of the lectionary correspond to our preparations for the forty days of Lent, traditionally and historically a set-apart time of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer as we move toward the celebration of Christ's Resurrection.  Yesterday we read that, after His night trial at the home of the high priest, Jesus was led from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.  But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover.  Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!"  Now Barabbas was a robber.  

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  Jesus tells this parable in Luke's Gospel as He is about to begin His journey toward Jerusalem for the final week of His earthly life.  My study Bible explains that the Pharisee is highly respected in the society, and a careful observer of the details of the Law.  But the tax collector is despised as a sinner, collaborating with the occupying Roman forces, and betraying and cheating his own people.  

"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.' "  My study Bible comments that the practices of this Pharisee are worthy example for all to follow.  He does good deeds such as fasting and giving tithes (two hallmarks of historical Lenten practices, we may take notice here) are in fact the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, such outward practices are deemed worthless by my study Bible, and under such conditions they lead only to pride and judgment of others.  It's important to note that the text tells us this man prays with himself.  As my study Bible explains, God is absent where there is boasting.  

"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!' "  This tax collector, my study Bible says, shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his soul.  He stands far from the altar of sacrifice, and his eyes are cast downward.  His prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer.  Moreover, the refrain "Lord have mercy" permeates worship practices as well as personal prayer.  

"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."   To be justified means to be forgiven and set right with God, my study Bible explains.  It notes here that inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned.  

Today's parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector places a great deal of emphasis on humility.  Perhaps this is the singularly most important virtue in terms of our focus during Lent.  Humility is often thought of as something we express before other people, or perhaps in our face to face encounters with others.  But humility only properly begins with humility before God first.  It is that relationship with God that sets down the proper conduct and boundaries for our relationships and communion with other people.  Humility does not imply that one is "less than" another person, nor that one is meant to be "humiliated" or to grovel before others.  Humility is, instead, our guarantee of reliance upon something that is real, a correct assessment of ourselves and our circumstances, and that we don't step outside of or beyond boundaries that are proper to ourselves.  We might also note that in today's parable, Jesus compares the two men in terms of their levels of humility before God, but they are not compared to one another on any other ground.  Jesus does not focus on adding up the virtues of the Pharisee that he brags about, nor does Jesus tear down the Tax Collector for the work that he does.  In this story, the example is about how we come to terms with who we are by being face to face, in humility, with God.  It is once again a way of seeing that we can only come to measure ourselves with hope of a realistic assessment if we do so by coming to God in humility, with God's judgment as the proper yardstick for measurement.   At the end of John's Gospel, there is the story about St. Peter coming to Christ after his denials of Christ, and after Christ's Resurrection.  In that story, Jesus first asks Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" and when Peter replies affirmatively, Jesus tells him what he is to do:  "Feed my lambs."  In this way, Peter is restored to Christ after his three denials of Christ.  But then, another thing happens.  Peter -- as is so frequently the case -- isn't quite satisfied in his exuberance.  He then turns to Jesus and asks about John, who is nearby, and asks Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"  Jesus replies to Peter, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me" (see John 21:15-22).   In other words, it's up to Peter to 'mind his own business,' so to speak, and focus on what is his to do, not on others.  In this sense today's teaching on humility is also pertinent, for our jobs do not consist of comparing ourselves to others, one way or another.  We stand before Christ, and only humility is appropriate for this relationship and communion, because it is in Christ that we find One who knows us far better than we know or understand ourselves, and One whose love encompasses all things, including the particular roles God desires for us in life.  We needn't fear this humility, because even when we are corrected, we are received in love, and God's truth is always for our benefit.  So let us get used to this idea of finding ourselves in that place where we place love of God as our first priority, and love of neighbor in relationship to that (see Matthew 22:36-40).  In this way there is no sense of envy nor comparison, there is no relationship of competition within a communion, but rather simply a desire to love and to be loved in God's embrace of ourselves and our community.  These conditions are essential for us to understand, for humility of the type which Christ exemplifies can only work in this way for us.  This is the way to sanity and health for all the things that ail us.  Let us seek God's love in this way, as does the tax collector, and find where true righteousness is for us, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.