Humility Is The Mark Of A Sinner — In the case of the 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 were 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 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, the the Lord purified the tax collector of his iniquity .
If just by praying, the Pharisees’s prayer provoked God’s wrath, then as a result of that provocation, the prayer of the tax collector proved all the more potent.
The stern Pharisee, who in his self pride not only boasted of himself but also discredited the tax collector in the presence of God, made his justice void by being guilty of pride.
Instead of the Pharisee, the tax collector went down justified, because he had given glory to God, the Holy One.
He did not dare lift his eyes but sought only to plead for mercy. He accused himself by his posture, by striking his breast, and by entertaining no other motive except propitiation. Be on your guard, therefore, and bear in mind this example of severe loss sustained through arrogance.
The one guilty of insolent behavior suffered the loss of his justice and forfeited his reward by his bold self-reliance. He was judged inferior to a humble man and a sinner because in his self-exaltation he did not await the judgment of God but pronounced it himself. Never place yourself above anyone, not even great sinners. Humility often saves a sinner who has committed many terrible transgressions.
Courtesy of Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church of Swarthmore.
