Возлюбленные братия! В ныне чтенном Евангелии мы слышали притчу Господа нашего Иисуса Христа о мытаре и фарисее.

По какому поводу Господь сказал эту притчу? Он сказал ее к людям, которые обольщены и обмануты самомнением, полагаются и уповают на свою праведность, на свои добрые дела, смотрят из своего самомнения и самообольщения на прочих людей, их уничижают, то есть низко думают о них, презирают, осуждают, злословят, и тайно, в душе своей, и явно, пред человеками.

По какой причине Святая Церковь положила чтение этого Евангелия пред вступлением в поприще Великого Поста? — С целью охранить нас от самомнения и уничижения ближних, при которых чувство покаяния никак не может усвоиться сердцу. Если же пост не украсится плодом покаяния, то и постный подвиг останется тщетным. Этого мало: он принесет нам вред, усилив в нас самомнение и самоуверенность. Таково свойство всех телесных подвигов и видимых добрых дел. Если мы, совершая их, думаем приносить Богу жертву, а не уплачивать наш неоплатный долг, то добрые дела и подвиги соделываются в нас родителями душепагубной гордости.

Человека два внидоста в церковь помолитися, так начал Господь Свою притчу: един фарисей, а другий мытарь. После этого Сердцеведец Господь поведал, какими помышлениями выразился тайный сердечный залог каждого из молившихся, какими помышлениями каждый из молившихся изобразил отношения свои к Богу.

Фарисей был удовлетворен собою, признавал себя достойным Бога, угодившим Богу. Боже хвалу Тебе воздаю, {стр. 21} говорил он в себе, то есть говорил мыслию при невидимом самовоззрении. За что же фарисей воздает хвалу Богу? Не по причине ли необъятного величия Божия, приводящего в удивление и недоумение всю разумную тварь? не по причине ли непостижимого и неизреченного милосердия Божия, допускающего ничтожной твари, человеку, беседовать с Богом? не по причине ли бесчисленных благодеяний Божиих, излитых на человечество? Нет! хвалу Тебе воздаю, говорит фарисей, яко несмь, якоже прочии человецы. Фарисей в ослеплении своем воздает хвалу Богу за свое состояние самодовольства и самообольщения. Дерзкая и лукавая форма хвастовства! Хвала Богу, недостойная Бога! Хвала Богу, исполненная клеветы на Бога! Не Бог доставил фарисею то устроение, которым он хвалится: оно составилось от принятия и усвоения ложных понятий. Отец ложных понятий, убивающих душу вечною смертию, есть падший архангел [52]. Вот под влиянием кого образовалось настроение фарисея. Самообольщение всегда соединено с так называемою святыми Отцами бесовскою прелестию: состоит в принятии лжи за истину, в увлечении ложью. Мрачен взгляд фарисея из его самообольщения на человечество! несмь, якоже прочии человецы, говорил он, хищницы, неправедницы, прелюбодее, или якоже сей мытарь.

Далее фарисей исчисляет свои добродетели: пощуся двакраты в субботу, десятину даю всего елико притяжу. Фарисей смотрел на свои дела как на жертвы, как на заслуги пред Богом: такой взгляд — общий всем фарисеям. Для них тщетно возвещает Бог и в Ветхом и Новом Заветах: милости хощу, а не жертвы [53]. Господь не раз указывал им на это выражение воли Божией Священным {стр. 22} Писанием. Он говорил им, что они никогда бы не впадали в осуждение невинных, если б понимали это выражение воли Божией [54]: потому что милость не только не осуждает невинных, но и на виновных смотрит с состраданием; она по возможности снисходит им, как членам немощным и болящим, заботится не о казнях, но о врачевании. Ожесточенные, слепые фарисеи, упорно отвергая милость, хотят как бы насиловать Божество и приносить Ему не принимаемые Им жертвы. Они требуют такого же поведения и от прочих человеков; не видя его, соблазняются и осуждают. Свойственно фарисеям соблазняться на тех, в которых они не видят фарисейства; свойственно им соблазняться на тех, которые, гнушаясь самолюбием и человекоугодием, стараются угождать в простоте и тайне сердца Богу; свойственно им видеть грех и злонамеренность там, где их нет; свойственно им осуждать, ненавидеть и преследовать истинных служителей Божиих.

Фарисеи имели о Законе Божием превратное понятие. Занимаясь изучением Закона только по букве, а не опытно, неисполнением Закона они стяжевали не смирение, в которое приводится человек истинным познанием Бога, — необыкновенную напыщенность и надменность. Обрядовым и прообразовательным постановлениям они придавали гораздо большую важность, нежели какую следовало им давать, а заповеди Божии, составляющие сущность Закона, оставляли без внимания. Извратив значение Закона сообразно своему лжеименному разуму и развращенному сердцу, они, в то время, как служили и угождали единственно самолюбию, ошибочно для себя и для других представлялись служащими и угождающими Богу. Они стремились служить и угождать Богу исполнением своей воли и своих разумений, признавая их наверно добрыми и истинными, что неестественно для падшего человеческого естества, а не тщательнейшим исследованием и исполнением воли Божией. {стр. 23} При таком образе деятельности человек почти постоянно делает зло, признавая его добром, а когда делает и добро, то делает его из себя, почему приписывает его себе, как приписывал фарисей. При этом самое добро делается причиною зла, вводя в человека самомнение, насаждая, питая и возращая в нем пагубнейшую из страстей — гордость.

Living according to the commandments of the Gospel leads to completely different consequences. He who has set the fulfillment of the will of God as his goal in life strives to know this all-holy will in detail and with accuracy through the most thorough study of the Holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament, through the reading of the Fathers' writings, through conversation and consultation with successful Christians, through the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments both in outward behavior, and in mind, and heart. "The law of freedom," said St. Mark the Ascetic, "is read by true understanding, and by the observance of the commandments, of course, it is fulfilled by the mercies of Christ" [55]. When a Christian begins to live according to the will of God, good, pleasing and perfect,[56] or according to the commandments of the New Testament, then the fall and weakness of human nature is suddenly revealed to him. Infirmity does not allow him to fulfill the commandments of God in a pure and holy way, as God demands, and the fall opposes, often with the greatest bitterness, the fulfillment of God's commandments. It wants and demands that the fallen will and fallen human reason be fulfilled. The aspirations of this will and the conception of this reason are clothed in all kinds of the most sublime truth and virtue. The knowledge of the inner struggle, the denunciation and discovery of the one who lives within sin, the knowledge of its violent power over good wills and aspirations provide the Christian with a correct understanding of himself and of humanity. He sees the fall of humanity in himself; he sees from his own experiences the impossibility of arising from this fall by his own efforts alone; he acquires true humility, begins to offer God the warmest prayer for help and intercession from the heart of the broken, to which God always listens. Teach me to do Thy will! [58] Teach me by Thy justification! [59] Do not hide from me {p. 24} Thy commandments! [60] Confirm me in Thy words! [61] Turn away from me the way of iniquity, and have mercy on me by Thy law. [62] Having learned from experience that God's commandments are fulfilled only with the abundant cooperation of God's grace, and asking for this assistance by unceasing prayer, a Christian cannot but attribute all his good deeds to God's grace. At the same time, he cannot but recognize himself as a sinner. On the one hand, he learned from experience his own fall and inability to fulfill the will of God by his own strength alone, on the other hand, he sees in the very fulfillment of God's commandments with the help of grace the incessant errors introduced by human weakness and fall. This is clearly seen from the comments of the holy Apostle Paul about himself. In one of the Epistles he says: "More than all (the Apostles) I have labored: not I, but the grace of God, which is with me,"[63] and in another: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first."64 Such is God-pleasing righteousness! It is produced in man by the Divine grace that has overshadowed him, and it pleases God with the deeds of God-given truth. The God-pleasing righteous man does not cease to recognize himself as a sinner, not only because of his obvious sins, but also because of his natural truth, which is in a sorrowful fall, mixed with evil, defiled by sinful admixture. Blessed is he who is righteous in the righteousness of God, his hope is concentrated in Christ, the source of his righteousness. Unhappy is he who is satisfied with his own human righteousness: he does not need Christ, Who proclaimed Himself: for He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance [65]. St. Pimen the Great said: "For me, a person who sins and repents is more pleasant than a person who does not sin and does not repent: the first, recognizing himself as a sinner, has a good thought, and the second, recognizing himself as righteous, has a false thought" [66]. An assimilated false thought makes the entire life based on it useless. This was proved by experience: open sinners, publicans, and prostitutes believed in Christ, but the Pharisees rejected Him. Self-conceit and pride essentially consist in the rejection of God and in the worship of oneself. They are a subtle, difficult to understand, and difficult to reject idolatry. The Pharisees outwardly were the closest and most accurate servants and zealots of true worship of God, but in essence they were completely alienated from God, became His enemies, children of Satan [67]. When the promised Messiah, Whom suffering mankind had been waiting for for several thousand years, appeared among them with indisputable testimonies of His Divinity, they did not accept Him. Conscious of Him, in recognition of Him, they gave over to shameful execution, became God-killers [68].

The Gospel does not mention anything about the sinfulness or righteousness of the publican, but only sets up as an example of imitation the image of his prayer, which consisted exclusively of the consciousness of his sinfulness and of the humblest petition of God for mercy. The reason for this presentation is obvious. All people, without exception, are sinful before God, all need forgiveness and mercy for salvation, and God, according to His unlimited perfection, forgives all sins, both small and great, with equal convenience. In the perfection of God, all men are equal before Him in righteousness, by which they can differ only from one another. Acknowledging oneself as righteous is nothing else than not seeing one's sins, as self-deception. And therefore all people, without exception, when they come to the temple of God to appear before the face of God or intend to do so in the solitude of their cell, must prepare themselves with the consciousness of their sinfulness, and only from this consciousness should they offer prayers to God. Otherwise, our prayers will not be accepted [70]. "And the publican, standing afar, tells the Gospel, did not wish to lift up his eyes to heaven: but smote his face, saying: God, be merciful to me a sinner." The Gospel teaches us in these words that when praying, the humble disposition of the soul must correspond to the position of the body. In church, one should choose a place not in front, not visible, but modest, which would not be a reason for entertainment. Let the eyes not be allowed to be free: let them be constantly fixed on the earth, so that the mind and heart may be directed unhindered to God. The publican had the appearance of a bent man: so vividly did he feel the burden of his sins. And anyone who vividly feels this burden that oppresses the soul will involuntarily assume the appearance of bent and lamenting, as St. David said: "I have suffered and slushed to the end, lamenting all day long: for my hands are filled with reproach, and there is no healing in my flesh" (72). It is impossible not to notice that the place chosen in the temple by the publican, in the depths of the temple, is indicated by the Gospel [73] in contrast to the place chosen by the Pharisee, who, of course, stood in front in order to serve as an edification to the assembled people and to attract their attention to himself for the benefit of the people themselves. Thus, vanity usually justifies and covers up its actions. The position assumed by the publican's body according to his heart's thoughts is set in contrast to the position that the Pharisee gave to his body, also in accordance with the spiritual movement produced by the thoughts of pride. The publican, who recognized himself as a sinner, did not dare to lift up his eyes to heaven; The Pharisee, who recognized himself as a righteous man, freely lifted up his haughty eye to grief. The publican, because of the severity of his sins, seemed to be burdened with a burden; The body of the Pharisee took on a contrary appearance, encouraged, erect, inspired by self-conceit and self-confidence. The publican's face was covered with sorrow; The Pharisee's face shone with self-satisfaction. Sometimes the Pharisees stand in the very depths of the temple, especially when they are dignitaries, and then suddenly come out before the people, in order to impress more strongly both with the appearance of dignity and the preceding manifestation of humility. Their faces do not always express self-satisfaction: they assume various forms, depending on the need; but they are always invented.

The Lord who knows the heart concluded the parable with the following words: "I say to you, this (publican) is justified more than he (the Pharisee): for everyone who is exalted will humble himself, but he who humbles himself will be exalted" (74). This means: the publican was justified as having recourse to the justification granted by God, and the Pharisee was condemned as having rejected the justification granted by God, and wishing to remain in his own human fallen truth. To humble oneself means to recognize one's fall, one's sinfulness, because of which man has become an outcast creature, devoid of all dignity; To be exalted is to ascribe to oneself righteousness, even if it be to some extent and other virtues. Our worthiness, our righteousness, the price by which each person is valued and which is given for each person, is our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The poison that completely poisons the activity of the Pharisees is that they do all their works, so that people may be seen [75]. The basis of their activity is the search for human glory; The means to the end is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the character of the Pharisees. The Lord called hypocrisy their leaven [76]. All the activities of the Pharisees are permeated with hypocrisy; each of their deeds has hypocrisy in its soul. Hypocrisy, born of vanity, that is, of the search for human praise and glory, nourishes vanity with its successes. When vanity reaches maturity, then its action turns from impulses into a constant striving; then out of vanity is formed an insane and blind passion – pride. Pride is the death of the soul in the spiritual sense: the soul, embraced by pride, is incapable of humility, repentance, mercy, or any spiritual thought and feeling, which brings living knowledge of the Redeemer and assimilation to Him. In order to turn away from ourselves the terrible poison imparted by the leaven of the Pharisees, let us, according to the testament of the Gospel [77], strive for the fulfillment of God's commandments solely for God, concealing with all care this fulfillment from the pernicious eyes of men. Let us act on earth for God and for heaven, and not for men! Let us also act for people, not in order to extort our praise from them, but in order to bring them true service and benefit, for which they often tear their benefactors to pieces, just as foolish and ferocious beasts often tear to pieces those who care for them and feed them. Thus was done with the holy Apostles and many other saints of God. Let us vigilantly watch ourselves, notice our shortcomings and errors! Let us pray to God to reveal to us {p. 28} our fall and sinfulness! The constant striving to fulfill the will of God will gradually destroy in us self-satisfaction and clothe us in blissful poverty of spirit. Clothed with this holy and grace-filled garment, we will learn to stand before God in a God-pleasing manner, for which the Gospel praises the humble publican. Praying to God from the depth and sincerity of the heart's consciousness of sinfulness, we will surely receive the forgiveness of sins and an abundance of true blessings, temporal and eternal: for everyone who humbles himself will be exalted by the all-powerful and all-good right hand of the Lord God, our Creator and Savior. Amen.

Lesson 2

on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

On Prayer and Repentance