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Glory to Jesus Christ!
Today we have heard the teaching, which was given by Jesus Christ: the parable about the tax collector and the Pharisee (Luke, 18:10-14). Pharisees were people of certain religious denomination. Like today we have different divisions of Orthodox Church in Ukraine - Kyiv Patriarchate, Moscow Patriarchate, etc. So, Pharisees and Sadducees were fighting against each other. The difference between them was only in one thing - Pharisees did not believe in the eternal life; the same as today Jehovists do not believe in eternal life.
So, two of them are praying to God in the church. The Pharisee says praying: "God, I thank you 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.." And in reality his prayer is rather beautiful, because he understands that he is not like other people. "Thank You, God, that I am not like others, I can be better."
And another one, during his prayer, beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" He had so many sins, that he did not even form any sentences. He just asked: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
Do you understand the first one was calm: he thanks Lord that he has everything and he is not as bad as others. And the other one beats his breast, he can't make the sentence and name his sins, he just repeats: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
When we do something wrong and beat our breast, afterwards we feel better. It is the form of confession before God.
Jesus said that when those two came out of the temple, one of them who prayed "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" was justified. It is because he asked sincerely with his spirit: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" Maybe, it happened because he did not show his pride, he did not want to prove something. The prayer of the second man was accepted by Lord rather than a spirit of self-admiration. Maybe the Pharisee liked to admire himself: "Oh thank You that I am so beautiful, that I am so good". Maybe he had the strong spirit of arrogance. And Lord did not accept this prayer, because there was no energy, which is related to God. It was not the spirit of sincerity, true confession before God. And the tax collector prayed sincerely.
And God shows us: "This is the way you should pray, confess; even if it is very difficult. God hears our prayers and forgives us." Moreover, we are in the beginning of the Lent, in the beginning of the great confession, and it will start very soon.
So how the Gospel prepares us to it, we will pray and appeal to God. Be careful, and whatever you have done in your life, make a simple prayer: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" Because, we have what to confess for, and we should less praise ourselves before God. Sometimes it happens that the person starts to praise himself before God, then before people. The arrogance starts to overpower and the man falls down from the salvation, the same as the fallen angel fell down from the Heavens.
Let the Lord give us this wise and simple knowledge how we should pray and confess.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Apostle (2 Timothy 3:10-15):
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10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my
aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at
Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from
them all the Lord rescued me.
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted,
13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to
worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have
firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the
sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus.
Gospel (Luke, 18:10-14):
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10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee
and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I
thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'
13 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!'
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified,
rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but
the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
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