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 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard men, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: . . . We don't know precisely to whom this parable was directed, although of course it has applications to all of us.  But perhaps the behavior exemplified by the Pharisee in the parable is comparable to those who complained against Jesus because He received and ate with tax collectors and sinners (see this reading).

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study Bible explains that the Pharisee is highly respected and a careful observer of the details of the Law, while the tax collector is despised as a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, who betrays and cheats 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.'"  These practices of the Pharisee are worthy examples to follow, my study Bible points out.  His good deeds (such as fasting and giving tithes) are the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (that lead to adultery and extortion).  But, my study Bible adds, without a humble and repentance heart, such outward practices are worthless, and lead simply to pride and judgment of others.  It's important to read closely the language used here, that the Pharisee prays with himself.  My study Bible comments that 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 shows by his posture that he's aware 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.  The refrain "Lord have mercy" permeates worship and personal prayer, my study Bible reminds us.  

"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 says that inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned. 

 In modern popular language in the West, we hear a lot about the "ego."  This become synonymous with grandiosity, or flattering portrayals of ourselves, and is often chastised as being mistaken.  Christ's parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector roots us in the reality of this observed behavior, and defines for our consciousness an awareness of the pitfalls of self-exaltation.  As the Gospel frames it, Jesus delivers this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.  What follows in the parable is the expression of this Pharisee essentially flattering himself in his own eyes, although he appears to be addressing God at the altar.  To use another term often heard today in popular culture, this sense of admiring his own reflection is a pattern of narcissism, named from the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus, who drowned as he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water.  But Jesus gives us a better picture of the root of the type of mistake in his thinking and practice this Pharisee makes, when He gives us the terms of the Pharisee's prayer.  As my study Bible points out, Jesus phrases this parable specifically in language that declares that this man prayed, not with God, but with himself.  He is so busy admiring himself and painting this self-flattering image that there is no room for God; he's playing to his own image.  Moreover, it is this flaw that leads the Pharisee to condemnation of others, in that he then turns to the image of the tax collector to further boost his own image of himself.  These are patterns given to us in this very simple parable by Jesus that teach us the roots of a disordered pattern of behavior, one that causes misery both to ourselves and others.  First of all, Jesus makes it clear that the true saving relationship is that between ourselves and God.  We need to be dependent upon God for our measurement of ourselves and our yardstick.  God is the ultimate reality upon which we can base our sense of ourselves without distortion:  it is in that relationship that we may discover where we are sinful, and where we are loved.  What stands in God's sight remains as good and true, what does not must be discarded.  No one loves and knows us as God does, and there is no other who can teach us who we need to be.  To use terms from the myth of Narcissus, but which are most significant in Christianity, it is only Christ who can give us the true image -- or icon, in theological language -- of who we are and must aspire to become.  Looking at others and comparing, or simply looking at our own image we create, distort the picture of truth.  An inverse sort of narcissism is also possible, wherein for our own harmful emotional reasons, we paint an overly negative picture of ourselves that is nevertheless equally self-centered in its focus.  But let us look at the tax collector, who prays with God for help and mercy.  This is not a practice of morbid self-guilt, but one of honesty that leads to hope.  He is putting his trust in God for God's everlasting mercy and love.  Even though he knows he is a sinner, he nonetheless is going to God in trust and seeking to establish himself more deeply in God's love.  It is for this reason that he is justified.  As human beings, we're none of us so perfect we haven't got more in front of us God wants us to learn, to adapt, and to grow toward the image God has of us.  Let us find that way to deepen our reliance on God, seeking God's way for ourselves for what we need to discard, and relying on and trusting in God's love and mercy to take us forward.  For this is the only way to well-being.  Jesus says that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.  This Pharisee who exalts himself will be humbled at the judgment of Christ, while the tax collector who humbles himself before God will be exalted.  Let us follow and do likewise, fully relying on God's love and mercy to show us what we truly need for our lives.