February 25, 2024
This Sunday the Orthodox Church brings to us the Gospel of the Publican and the Pharisee marking the start of the Triodion period outside the Slavic Tradition that signifies the approach of the Season of Great Lent as we are now three weeks out from its glorious start.
This Gospel describes two opposing examples of individuals coming before the Lord in their perspective conditions. One, the Pharisee, contributing with discourse of his achievements, the other, the Publican, in the simple and humble frame imploring the Lord to have mercy knowing that any achievement on his part would be nothing more than fulfilling the obligation that we all have as Christians. Not something that should give us a sense of pride, rather bring us to an even deeper repentance.
What stands out about the Pharisee is his intent on expressing his right to speak, exalting himself on his achievements. He prepares a speech, finds the best venue to be heard in the temple, and lists his triumphs. He finds that his status is what should bring him adulation before the Lord. Seeking his rights before the Lord and letting the Lord know that he is not like the others around him. Reverence and compunction turn into indignation proclaiming that he is better than other men for doing what we all ought to and therefore the Lord should show him favor over the others.
Meanwhile, the Publican, who as a tax collector already suffers a bad reputation among the people of that time. One could assume that being in a place of such scorn and ill-repute that he would be the one shouting for rights seeking a soapbox to he heard. But he turns potential indignation into compunction and acknowledges before the Lord that he falls short of any favor the Lord could give him, regardless of any achievement. The Publican acknowledges his weakness, lowers his head, and utilizes the simple prayer Lord have mercy on me. What a wonderful example for us, brothers and sisters. One of passionless fortitude, seeking not worldly status but that of a higher sort. The Kingdom of the Lord!
St. Theophan the Recluse says of this, Do not assume you have a right to be heard, but approach prayer as one unworthy of any attention, allowing yourself only the boldness needed to open your mouth and raise up your prayer to God, knowing the Lord’s boundless condescension toward us poor ones. Do not even allow the thought to come to your mind, “I did such and such – so give me such and such.” Consider whatever you might have done as your obligation. If you had not done it you would have been subject to punishment, and what you did deserves no reward; you did not do anything special. That Pharisee enumerated his rights to be heard and left the temple with nothing. The bad thing is not that he actually did as he said, for indeed he should have done it. The bad thing is that he presented it as something special; whereas, having done it should have thought no more of it. Deliver us, O Lord, from this sin of the Pharisee! People rarely speak like the Pharisee in words, but in the feeling of their heart they are rarely unlike him. For why is it that people pray poorly? It is because they feel as though they are just fine in the sight of God, even without praying.”
Today in the age of podcasts, social media, smartphones, we too have many venues to seek our right to be heard, to list our achievements. And many times, our hearts, which are created for compassion, love, reverence, and repentance turn into a weapon of indignation to shoot our venom at others. Even when our initial intention was one of exclaiming truth and righteousness, we transform our calling as servants, to one of activist, attention seeker, and influencer. Our passionate cries turning the Faith of the Apostles into a gimmicky meme, a bully pulpit for our personal, social campaign. A venue to raise our worldly status that does nothing to deepen our repentance, nor seek the Kingdom of God.
Let us fight this with every ounce of our will by not just talking about the Church Fathers but by acting like them. After all they were only living by the example of Christ: praying simply and choosing silence when everything in our being tells us we have the right to speak.
Let us heed the word of St. Theophan and seek to be more like the Publican in our hearts! 
Rev. Dn. Chris Purdef
