ACC ~ Luke 18 v10 - 13

THE INFIRMITY OF OTHERS IS NOT A FIT SUBJECT FOR PRAISE FOR THOSE IN GOOD HEALTH

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: What profit is there in fasting twice in the week if it serves only as a pretext for ignorance and vanity and makes you proud, haughty and selfish? You tithe your possessions and boast about it. In another way, you provoke God’s anger by condemning and accusing other people because of this. You are puffed up, although not crowned by the divine decree for righteousness. On the contrary, you heap praises on yourself. He says, “I am not as the rest of humankind.” Moderate yourself, O Pharisee. Put a door and lock on your tongue. [1] You speak to God who knows all things. Wait for the decree of the judge. No one who is skilled in wrestling ever crowns himself. No one also receives the crown from himself but waits for the summons of the referee. … Lower your pride, because arrogance is accursed and hated by God. It is foreign to the mind that fears God. Christ even said, “Do not judge, and you shall not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” [2] One of his disciples also said, “There is one lawgiver and judge. Why then do you judge your neighbor?” [3] No one who is in good health ridicules one who is sick for being laid up and bedridden. He is rather afraid, for perhaps he may become the victim of similar sufferings. A person in battle, because another has fallen, does not praise himself for having escaped from misfortune. The weakness of others is not a suitable subject for praise for those who are in health. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 120. [4]

[1] Ps 140:3 LXX.

[2] Lk 6:37.

[3] Jas 4:12.

[4] CGSL 481**.

THE DANGERS OF PRIDE

MARTYRIUS: Whoever offers to God sacrifices of praise, the rational fruits of the lips that confess his name, should be very alert for the ambushes of the evil one. Satan lies in ambush ready to catch you by surprise at the very time of thanksgiving. He will get up and accuse you before God, just as he did with your fellow Pharisee in the temple. This time, he will not be puffing you up with pride over good works, as he did with the Pharisee, but he will be making you drunk with a different kind of pride. He makes you drunk on pride in the lovely and sweet sound of your own voice, the beauty of your chants that are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. The result is that you do not realize that these belong to God, and not to yourself. BOOK OF PERFECTION 78. [1]

[1] CS 101:234*.

ON REPORTING ONE’S OWN SYMPTOMS, NOT ANOTHER’S, TO A DOCTOR

AUGUSTINE: How useful and necessary a medicine is repentance! People who remember that they are only human will readily understand this. It is written, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” [1] … The Pharisee was not rejoicing so much in his own clean bill of health as in comparing it with the diseases of others. He came to the doctor. It would have been more worthwhile to inform him by confession of the things that were wrong with himself instead of keeping his wounds secret and having the nerve to crow over the scars of others. It is not surprising that the tax collector went away cured, since he had not been ashamed of showing where he felt pain. SERMON 351.1. [2]

[1] 1 Pet 5:5; Jas 4:6; Job 22:29; Prov 3:34.

[2] WSA 3 10:118**.

THE PUBLICAN RECEIVES ABSOLUTION

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: It says that the tax collector “stood afar off,” not even venturing to raise up his eyes. You see him abstaining from all boldness of speech. He seems devoid of the right to speak and beaten down by the scorn of conscience. He was afraid that God would see him, since he had been careless in keeping his laws and had led an unchaste and uncontrolled life. You also see that he accuses his own depravity by his external manner. The foolish Pharisee stood there bold and broad, lifting up his eyes without a qualm, bearing witness of himself and boastful. The other feels shame for his conduct. He is afraid of his judge. He beats his breast. He confesses his offenses. He shows his illness as to the Physician, and he prays that he will have mercy. What is the result? Let us hear what the judge says. He says, “This man went down to his house justified rather than the other.” COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 120. [1]

[1] CGSL 482**.

IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO CONFESS ONE’S SINS THAN ONE’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: In the case of that Pharisee who was praying, the things he said were true. Since he was saying them out of pride and the tax collector was telling his sins with humility, the confession of sins of the last was more pleasing to God than the acknowledgment of the almsgiving of the first. It is more difficult to confess one’s sins than one’s righteousness. God looks on the one who carries a heavy burden. The tax collector therefore appeared to him to have had more to bear than the Pharisee had. He went down more justified than the Pharisee did, only because of the fact he was humble. If this Pharisee had been sinful, his prayer would have added iniquity to iniquity, but the Lord purified the tax collector of his iniquity. If just by praying, the Pharisee’s prayer provoked God’s wrath, then as a result of that provocation, the prayer of the tax collector proved all the more potent. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 15.24. [1]

[1] ECTD 242**.

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