On the Pharisee and the Publican Who Went up to the Temple to Pray

Of the Holy One, Mar Jacob A Memra. 23. On the Pharisee and the Publican: of whom Our Lord said: that they went up to the temple to pray. The teaching of the Son of God, the Living One, is full. Lovers of life, come, be delighted by his teaching. Light has arisen from all his words for the Pharisees. O Pharisees, look upon the proclamation of the Full One, light from his lips, streams of living water. They went forth to the creation, that it might drink the earth, which was barren. Upon his tongue are blessings and riches that cannot be grasped, and he distributes to the hearers, to them, in homilies. When he opens his mouth, death flees as he speaks, and his power gives resurrection to the dead, that they might rise and go. From his sayings, life springs upon souls; even the leprous, who were burned by the curse, are healed. At the hands of the dead, his voice falls when he speaks, and as if from sleep, they rise to praise him. He gathered the sick and brought them to his place from his father's house, and he distributed gifts to the afflicted and healed them. Upon the diseases of the body, like the sun upon shadows, he caused them to flee from all the bodies of the afflicted. By his teaching he healed the soul, which was sick, and the medicine of his word (for the body of the dead, which was afflicted). He drove from the soul sin, the blemish that was killing it, and from the body pain and suffering that were afflicting it.

the sins of the soul and the pains of the body, which were many, were destroyed like a hard frost in the spirit. Wherever sin was seen in the soul, it gave forgiveness; and whenever pain of the body encountered it, it gave healing. It gave while teaching a woe to the scribes and Pharisees, a healing to the pain that had rebelled against it from healing. It saw pride and grieved for the soul that was slain by it, and gave it a remedy and placed a healing to cure its wound. It saw the poor who were oppressed by poverty, and to the poor it gave blessedness, and taught them to go. It saw the rich who had no mercy on the poor, and it revealed them, and the rich man and Lazarus. In that one who had asked for a drop of water and they did not give it to him, it taught them to have mercy on the poor. Against the iniquity of the soul, which is a hidden wound, the medicine of the physician was revealed to show it so that it might become fair. One of the deeds of the new world, a remedy that helps both the rich and the poor. In the drop of water that they did not give to that one who had asked, it cast a tremor upon the rich who were not ashamed. And in Lazarus, who was lying beside Abraham, they gave a reproach to the place where poverty had humbled him.

He healed the world with ten virginal qualities while teaching. He revealed and showed the foolish and the wise that the soul might be anointed with the oil of good works. He showed her how, like a bride, the wise ones entered with him. He feared for the soul, lest without the light of beautiful things, the door would not open for her to enter his presence when it was fitting. Again, he shaped his soul as a shepherd who cares to separate the kids and lambs from the right and from the left. Lambs in the light and kids in the darkness he set, so that even the darkness of the kid might be a light for him later. He revealed while teaching something that was destined to be spoken to these who stand on his right and on his left. "Go to your place, accursed ones," hear from him those on the left, "and come, enter and inherit," hear from him those on the right. These words of the end he spoke first, concerning what would happen to the place where the hearer of his teaching would go. Before he went to the place of judgment, he would know what judgment is and would prepare good works for it. In all his discourses, the diligent teacher increased the life of the soul. With his teaching, he filled the river, the son of God. In each place, he spoke in parables and in comparisons. (In another place: he showed the soul cuttings and tendons. There is also when, with a gift and with praise, he would disturb the soul so that she might desire beautiful things.)

He spoke a parable concerning the publican and the Pharisee, and composed a narrative of great benefit for whoever hears it. Concerning height and lowliness he wished to demonstrate, which one is guilty and which one is victorious before the Judge. He desired to reprove both pride and arrogance, for the one who is humble in himself is guilty before humility. And because of his love, he wished to separate from height, and from the proud one, the soul that performs good works, so that it might not be lost after its worthiness because of its good deeds, and so that its labor might not be destroyed by a haughty spirit if it should have one. Over the righteous one he cast a tremor, for although he was righteous, it was not permitted to him to be proud of any of his good works. And to the sinner he gave heart and hope, that if he humbles himself and seeks forgiveness, it is easy for him to receive from God. And because of this, he arranged the narrative full of consolation concerning that publican and Pharisee when they were praying. And he said that two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The name of the Pharisee among the Hebrews was like "righteous one." Hear now concerning the Pharisee, that he was righteous, and that publican was a sinner—this is evident. And these two went up to pray in the house of God. They went up to pray, one righteous and one sinner, a Pharisee and a publican before the Judge of the whole earth.

And the Pharisee began to speak with a haughty spirit, relying on the good deeds he had performed. He looked at himself and saw that he was pure and without blemish. And trusting in his purity, he stood to pray. And he began to say, "I thank you, O God, that I am not like the sinners nor like the tax collectors. I thank you that I am free from transgression, and there is no iniquity in me, and I am not like evil men. There are adulterers, and there are thieves, and there are oppressors, and I am not like these in any way. I am not like the doers of evil and the wicked, but I am pure and I pray, free from evil deeds. I thank you that I have not been a liar, a wrongdoer, or base, and I am not like those who practice iniquity in their ways." O righteous one, what is this you say in your prayers? For this speech you utter is not prayer. O Pharisee, this is not how one prays, nor does he recount his good deeds before the All-Knowing. You have praised yourself; you have not brought praise to your Lord. You are the one who is now undone, recounting your fine deeds. This is not how prayer goes before God; rather, it seeks mercy with trembling from the Judge. This is not how the soul stands before God, but bowed down, trembling with fear, and filled with awe.

You came as you are, and to the place you came, to pray. For you did not pray, but you boasted: "Your good deeds." But you are in need, you will take something from God. There are needs for which you do not appease the sinners. But your soul desires that beauty be added to it. There are needs upon which prayer falls like a beautiful one. In the beauty of his soul he looked, this one, and he boasted. And he did not know to look at God, how beautiful He is. So that one who examines closely sees the beauty of that greatness. His soul is amazed at his own eyes, how beautiful it is. A small lamp, if it shines in the great sun, by its light it denies that it is hidden from the day. Even the righteous one, when he is humbled and looks at God, the smallness of his righteousness is hidden from God. For Abraham, in his greatness, looked at God; he called himself dust and ashes when he was humble. Simon Kepha said: "I am a sinner to my Lord." And how is a righteous one when he speaks with God? If Abraham called himself dust and ashes, and Simon Kepha was a sinner as he said, how then does this one boast and show off his good deeds, and become proud when he speaks with God? This Pharisee, in his standing, was righteous; but in regard to God, he did not perceive how beautiful He is.

He saw the hidden beauty that is fixed upon the coverings. He had no—he looked upon the beauty of that greatness. He had no great understanding and lofty mind to ascend and enter among the angels. And he revealed with trembling the face of the gate of the fortress of light, and he immersed himself in the rays of the splendor of that greatness. And he boasted, seeing himself in these beauties that cannot be grasped, and he rejoiced, thinking that he had beauty. If only the mirror of his soul had been clear when he looked, he would not have seen his own beauty in that lofty beauty. For he who sees his own beauty is not beautiful, because if he thought himself beautiful, he would be all blemishes. A beautiful soul does not see what is beautiful in itself, for it looks upon beauties above and rejoices in their radiance. For he who is very righteous rejoices that he is not righteous, like the disciple who cries out to his Lord, "I am a sinner." This Pharisee was justified by the law, by the mountains and the bodily commandments, not knowing that there is another degree of righteousness above his own, which is to approach God. The mercy of the Lord is commanded by the law, but he does not even look for the reward from that which is commanded. And however much the soul is beautiful, it thinks itself not beautiful, for it is moved by the lofty beauties of divinity.

The Pharisee, who was righteous in the manner of the Law, was pleased with himself and stood to count his own beauties. He looked at the publican, who also had gone up to pray, and he reviled and scorned him, and spoke as if he were lacking beside him. He confessed to the Lord with a spirit full of hypocrisy, and he magnified himself over the publican and saw that he was greater than him. "I confess to you that I am not like this publican," he said to God, for he thought that prayer was lost on him. He did not look at Moses, nor at Elijah, nor at Jeremiah, but at this one, and he turned away from this righteous one. He belittled himself when he thought that he was praising her, that he was magnifying her over the publican, and she appeared to him as beautiful. He did not compare his light with the light of this beautiful one, to see which beauty was beautiful and which was foul. His light is small compared with the darkness of the publican; he magnifies, and from the darkness he saw that it was bright, not from the light. He did not look at Joseph, the young man who was chaste against desire in her place, nor at Daniel, who cast aside the governors of the king. He did not look at Job, the sea of beauties and of virtues, nor at Jacob, who wrestled with angels. He looked at the publican, and his righteousness grew great in his eyes, and because he saw the blind man, he thought that he was beautiful. He knows that it is necessary to look at the beautiful and the lofty, he who seeks to increase himself in his righteousness.

And he reached the measure of the perfect ones, and he looked to God: for when he compared himself with him, he was ashamed of his own greatness. When a rich man sees wealth greater than his own, like a poor man he sees himself and is not troubled. But if he looks at the loaf of bread that is lacking for the day, he goes astray, thinking that there is no one richer than him in the world. If he looks at the perfect ones, the soul and the spirit, much shame comes to humility, which is full of beauties. But if he looks at a man of evil ones, he becomes proud, and arrogance bears thorns for the humble ones. But it is a vain hope that thinks it is very beautiful, in the judgment of evil ones, and falls into the snare of arrogance. As happened to the Pharisee when he was praying, and he saw the publican and thought that he was greater than him. He began to revile and to show him to the Lord, and said: I thank you that I am not like this publican. With a haughty spirit he used two evils, and in both there is loss for the Pharisee. For a man who looks at the sins of his companion and looks at his own virtue, and again who thinks himself beautiful, that is also evil. A man does not look more and see the beauty that is not his own, but he looks at his own beauty and is troubled like a wise man. A man does not look more and rejoice in his own beauties, but he errs in the measure of the means, if they are possible.

as it is written, that he loses the good he did yesterday. And again, he runs forward to be adorned with beauties. If I did a good deed yesterday, it was accomplished. And behold, I run another to do if I can. I lose the good of yesterday with that of yesterday: for if I look at it, I am undone by it from good deeds. I secretly set aside the good I did if it was accomplished, so that again before me I may run after another good. The good of yesterday will be preserved in the life of yesterday. I lived today, which has its own day. Just as the sun also sets and casts aside the rays of yesterday, and after those that are coming, it runs and passes on. If the sun were to stand still and consider its course of yesterday, its course of today would cease from its running. Day by day it casts behind it the courses of yesterday, and again before it, it runs seeking like a diligent one. Paul is like the sun in the path of apostleship, for he would lose the course of yesterday and not consider it. For the virtues, which are beautiful things, are the cause of the later ones that are not accomplished. For the Pharisee, his good deeds were an evil cause, for when he wanted to consider them, they were not justified.

He was eager and did good deeds yesterday. And today he arises to think that he is nothing and is nullified. In the hands of the Lord are placed all good deeds. And it does not escape you, who are careful, that you think you are nothing. You are not nullified from the work of righteousness. And you think, what have I done for God? He does not escape you: do not be nullified from good deeds. Do not forget what you have done, for it is written for you. Deed and words, also actions, also thoughts, and signs and movements of the soul, He knows and is watchful over them. And when it does not escape you, you consider them as if they were lacking. And to remind you, behold, your good deeds come. It is necessary, my brothers, that you not see your good deeds as nothing, for upon the one who sees them, that righteous one is already shamed. He who sins, his sin is placed before his face, and if he is justified after it, he casts away his righteousness. Look at sin: if you look at it, it is destroyed. And do not look at righteousness, lest you lose it. For righteousness, its error is that if you do it, if you err in it, the Lord is watchful over it that it not be lost. For in sin, if you see it, God errs in it, and He casts it away and abandons it, if He sees that you are sunk in it. But if you err in sin, what you have done, the Lord does not forget it, that He might go, but He pursues it.

As one who looks at his wound, what it is, when it pains him. For he is able to perceive his wound when it hurts him. The more he feels the pain that is in his wound, the more evil it is. The voice of his limbs calls out to him: "Go to the physician who belongs to you, and be healed." And if he does not feel the pain, as one who has no wound, he makes known and shows the physician, and it does not grieve him that it does not pain him. So also the sinner, when he looks at his sin, then God, who is concerned for his wound, also heals him. But if he is silent and does not look at it, the grief is in vain, and his wound remains without healing, incurable. If he is mindful of his sin, he lives while he is in the flesh; a broken spirit receives mercy from the judge. Like that publican who placed his sin before his eyes, and was unable to look up to heaven because of it. He did not wish to raise his gaze from his folly, in which he looked, and upward he did not dare to look. The sins of the sinner he placed like a wall before his face, and it was not easy for him to see the heaven that he had covered. But because of the iniquity that his hands had done, he did not look, and he was unable to see anything else with him. He stood like an accused before the judge, and over what was done he was unable to lift his eyes. From the shame that sits in the height of the wall and is cast down, he raises his eyes toward her so that she may not be disgraced.

And he raised the rod and struck the destroyer, because we said: And confidently, at the place of judgment, the guilty one looks. And because of this, he does not dare to look at the heavens. Toward the mighty Judge who is terrible over sinners. He looks at his sins and is shaken; he seeks a great penalty. For the penalty of iniquity, but the penalty does not grieve him. He stands in shame, praying, and is smaller than himself. But God was not angry with him because he humbled himself. He was amazed at himself and saw his sins, and he clapped his hands. For a moment, in trembling, while crying out, he was before the Judge. He called out to God, saying to him, "Show mercy to the sinner." "Your penalty is life, O dead brother whom iniquity has slain." I have completed the discourse of this tax-collector and the Pharisee. For it is a great trembling to speak of their story. And if I dare, I do not dare, but I cannot but speak. I will say it as it is, to those who hear me. The evil cause of the Pharisee's good deeds. For he darkened himself with pride and haughtiness. Also that tax-collector, because of the cause of sin, was amazed at himself. He trembled, sought mercy, and sought a penalty from the Judge. The righteous one was darkened because he thought his good deeds were fair. And the sinner was illuminated because the iniquity he had done stirred him. The Pharisee, the envious one, erred, for he even begrudged God. And the tax-collector, the wise one, knew the Lord, who is full of mercy.

And it is not said that evil is sought from good things, nor is it heard that fear of good comes from evil deeds. What did the Pharisee say from his good deeds? He raised the rod and praised himself, and behold, he is rebuked. And the publican opened his sins before the judge, and seeks forgiveness, being praised like a wise man. The accuser does not point to the good deeds that were done, but to the error and pride of the Pharisee. And again, he does not praise the sins of the publican who sinned, but his humility, and that he saw how great his fault was. And it was in his story like a mirror for workers of iniquity, that with great humility they stand in the house of God. And she hastened the soul of the seeker: forgiveness from God. And it was known that if she seeks, he who gives is to her. This parable our Lord spoke to help both parties, if they hear it discerningly. It benefits both the righteous and the sinners more than them, for it desires that the son of God should profit both. O righteous one, never despise the sinner: God formed even the sinner, and your rebuke is his. Do not boast if you do good works, lest you fall from that height of righteousness. You have given to God from his own; you have given not from yours, for with tithes you rebuke him to whom you give.

When you fast, do not boast; humble yourself, for fasting is accomplished through humility. Daniel fasted while he was fasting. Humble yourself in the house of God when you pray: prayer is not accepted from you with pride. Even if your good deeds are many and arranged and ordered in you, they are not beautiful unless you clothe yourself in humility. If you are justified as good by your deeds, with a haughty spirit your beautiful deeds are not accepted. And you, sinner, in the story of the publican who was spoken of: cut off your excess and stand in prayer with downcast face. Look to heaven; it does not avail you from sorrow, for the place of judgment is a great fear for the guilty in it. Tremble in prayer and seek mercy in humility, and you will receive from the giver of beautiful deeds. Be still and humble yourself if you are reproached by the righteous, for even that publican became quiet when he was reproached. He said to God, "I ask, my Lord, have mercy on the sinner," and he lives for you because of the mercies that are precious to him. The parable of our Lord is all life for the one who hears it, and for the righteous and the sinners it is able to help. It was not a parable only; this parable was a true story as it was spoken. On one of the days they encountered each other and stood in prayer: the Pharisee and the publican, and they spoke these words in the house of God.

and he prays, the son of God with his begetter, for he receives all petitions and prayers. For prayer does not enter to his father without his hands, and a gift does not go out from him except through his hands. He receives, brings in, takes, and brings out from the house of the father, as if he were a mediator between us and his father to reconcile us. The offerings of Levi and the tithes of the priest Jacob, he used to receive and bring in to his begetter. He used to receive the prayer of the sinner in the temple of holiness, and he brought out the request for mercy from the house of his father. He used to bring out the prayer of the righteous from within the sanctuary, and like a beginning he would bring it in to his begetter. The offerings of the Pharisees and the incense of the priests, and the whole burnt offerings, prayers, petitions, all the tithes with all the gifts, the words of the mouth and also the thoughts of the hearts, he receives, brings out, hears, sees, and remembers. And to the Pharisee and to that publican, he prays and goes, in the temple of holiness when they were standing in prayers. And with the petition of the whole world when he was hearing, he did not err to say "he prays" as it was heard. And when the event was that which was at the time as it was spoken, his deed makes a parable that helps the hearer to understand it. And concerning that which pleased the publican, that he prayed in humility, and that which did not please the Pharisee, that he prayed from pride.

He guards it: the story and its maker, the parable full of virtues. He placed in the Gospel that through it all his hearers might be helped. He taught the world that one who is exalted humbles himself. From pride, every one who is righteous flees. One who exalts himself in his heart is righteous before God. And he does not tremble from pride if he is a Pharisee. He piles up merits and is not pleasing to God. And this righteousness upon pride was spoken only. For all his time and all his life, he seeks that they not be found. And behold, one alone is written: he is righteous before God. He does not spend his time in fasting alone like his companions. But rather, righteousness is his, much more than his. All sins are ashamed and flee from God. Pride, however, as if with him, seeks to approach. The Lord is high and seeks to dwell in lowliness. And one who is exalted against God steps and becomes haughty. And because it is written that the Lord reigned and put on humility, it is fitting for a human to be either exalted or haughty. And because of this, concerning pride it is written that righteousness is before God for one who hears in a Pharisaic manner. And because of this it is written: the parable of the Pharisee, by which one who does good deeds is taught, that he should flee from speaking of his good deeds, and from pride, the pain of righteousness in the house of God.

It is good for you to flee from all evils. It is good for you to be chaste from all blemishes. It is good for you to heal sins in all forms. Flee then greatly from pride over the beloved one. And humility is full of the beauties of righteousness, so that even a blemish, wherever it is, is hidden. The publican was chaste, and his blemishes were many. And concerning how he humbled himself, see, it is well spoken. And the Pharisee was righteous, for he had beauty. And because he wished that his beauties be seen, see, his story is chaste. With one root, our Lord healed two sicknesses. And he easily healed both the righteous and the sinners. From one parable he made a healing for both parties: that the sinner and the righteous might be helped by it. Over the righteous he cast a trembling, that he not boast, and that his beauties not be undone by his boasting. And to the sinner he taught that he should be troubled and humble himself, and know himself, and find mercy before God. For everyone, by his words, he desires that the son of God profit. Blessed is he who desires that everyone live by his humility. Completed is the homily on the publican and the Pharisee.