God, Be Merciful To Me A Sinner
A Reflection On Luke 18:10-14
The Lord said this parable, “Two men went up into 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 like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ 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!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
RSV Luke 18:10-14
Today marks the beginning of Triodion, a period when the Church, in her wisdom, calls us to repentance and to prepare for the coming Lenten journey to the Resurrection of our Lord on Pascha. For the next three weeks leading up to Clean Monday, the themes of Lent of repentance, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, continue to be conveyed through the Scripture readings.
For the first week of Triodion, we hear the Parable taken from Luke 18:10-14, of the Publican and the Pharisee. In this Parable, the Lord speaks of two men who enter the temple to pray: one a Pharisee, a zealous Jewish leader we will recall from the Gospels, and the other a publican, or tax collector, who, as we will remember from last week’s Gospel reading, would have been seen as an extortioner and sinner.
On paper, the two examples present a holy man, this Pharisee, and a sinner, as we see with the Publican. Yet when we hear the two characters begin to speak, we hear that first “the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.” Before we even hear the prayer of the Pharisee, we see in his posture of standing and his manner of praying with himself that his approach is that of one who elevates himself.
When we hear his prayer, it then makes matters worse as he professes, ‘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.’ Yes, the Pharisee thanks God, yet we need to pay close attention to what he is thanking God for. He thanks God that he is not like other men, and then he calls out the Publican who has also come into the temple to pray. Rather than lowering himself in prayer, he thanks God that he is better than others, and it is in this elevated state that he blinds himself to his own flaws.
The prayer of the Pharisee is then contrasted with the posture and prayer of the Publican. We hear that the Publican “standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven.” In this posture, we see a disposition of remorse and repentance. As a tax collector, we know the man is an extortioner for his role is to collect money for the Romans from his fellow Jews. His primary means of making money is taking more from his neighbors. Yet, in his approach to prayer, we see him recognize this reality as well. The tax collector does not end by self-flagellating, beating himself into submission for the wrong he has done endlessly. Instead, we see his repentance in his simple prayer, for he “beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”
The Publican is not an exemplar in status, yet in action, he is a true example of faith. He does not claim to adhere to the fasting proscriptions of his faith, nor is he seen to be tything what he has taken; in his role as a tax collector, he is likely guilty of extortion and injustice. Yet what does he do when he realizes his state? He approaches God, beats his breast, and cries, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ Rather than continuing to extort others or fall into despair in the face of his sin, the Publican opens his heart to God to forgive and heal what is lacking in his character. This shows us that fasting and all spiritual disciplines without humility are empty and void. One must have the humility to truly put Christ first in all we do, and it is from that disposition that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving become the means by which we live our lives in Christ.
In the words of our Lord, ‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ The example of the two men teaches us that humility and repentance are essential for spiritual growth, as they open our hearts to God’s grace and transformation. Recognizing our need for God’s mercy allows us to grow closer to Him and experience true salvation, for salvation is only found in God’s loving and saving presence.
What an excellent example to give us in this first week of Triodion, for at the core of this message is a call to lower ourselves so God can fill what is lacking in us all. We all lead busy, competitive lives - striving for success in careers, social status, and God forbid, even in our ministries. It becomes all too easy for us to miss the Lord and His call to true life He offers us in the exalted state we find ourselves in. In a culture centered around the individual, it is all too easy for us to fall into the trap of making our ego the center of our reality. Thus, the Church reminds us that by practicing humility and repentance daily through prayer, acts of service, and self-examination, we open ourselves to God’s grace and allow Him to work within us, reorienting us in the way we live our lives.
Our Lord and God, the creator of all things, is the only one who is truly exalted. Yet, in His incarnation, He lowers Himself and shares our human experience. This act of divine humility, as exemplified in Mark 10:45, ‘the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, ‘invites us to respond with reverence, gratitude, and emulation of His selfless love for all of us. In the incarnation, God came not to be served but to serve, so that we may have the hope of life in Him.
The Church teaches us that metanoia, or repentance, is more than changing our mind; it is embodied in kneeling and prostrating before Christ, physically changing the orientation of our whole being towards Christ. Like the tax collector, we fall prostrate before our Lord. In this act, true change takes root within us, inspiring sincerity in our spiritual efforts to let God fill all that is lacking in us.
We cannot change ourselves, for we see that we are helpless against the attacks of sin and ultimately death. We fall prey to the sirens’ song of temptations that come our way, and we can make sin so habitual that it feels as though we can never get free. Yet in His loving service to us, our Lord lowers Himself to offer us His justice. Without Him, we cannot be saved from the effects of sin. Yet, He offers Himself to us so that true repentance can be participated in by each and every one of us, leading us to true freedom from the bondage of sin.
In every moment of our lives, it is our call to see what is lacking in us and to offer it to our Lord and God. If we exult ourselves like the Pharisees, then we will miss the gift of salvation that is being provided to us humbly. Thus, it is our call to cry out like the Publican, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ so that we can open our lives to receiving the forgiveness our Lord offers each and every one of us.
We are not alone in our struggles, for the Lord is with us. He takes on our struggle so He can transfigure each of us in His resurrection. God fills all that is lacking in us, so that we can have true life in His loving and saving presence. The choice we are then left with is whether to continue offering Him all we struggle with so we can grow in unity with Him, or to elevate ourselves and miss the true elevation the Lord offers us through humility and service.
The decision of how we are going to live our lives is ours, for our Lord, out of love for us, gives us the freedom to choose. To aid us in this struggle here at the beginning of Triodion, the Church reminds us, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” So let us take the time to examine our lives and see how we may be missing our Lord, and when we identify these areas of lack, rather than beating ourselves up, let us have the courage to pray as the Publican, ‘ God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ For none of us is alone in our struggle, for our Lord has come to serve our needs and raise us in His humility to His loving and saving presence.
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