Gradualism In Our Spiritual Orientation
Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
2 Timothy 3:10-15; Luke 18:10-14
In the modern technological world, it is possible for a person to suddenly rise up (plane, helicopter) and suddenly descend downward. Such sudden changes are not possible in the state of one’s soul and its perfectibility, and when abrupt changes do occur in one’s soul through spiritual trials, because of tragic events, they cause great spiritual wounds in people’s souls.
The human soul, like two to three thousand years ago, has unchanging sensibilities; it responds in the same way now, as then: a joyful event inspires cheerfulness, a smile; tragic events – bring forth sadness and crying, and similarly related feelings.
In the liturgies and prayers of the Orthodox Church, everything is intended to occur gradually: when people are still comforted by the birth and coming of the Son of God to earth, they hold weddings and arrange parties; later, the Church gradually prepares its people for a period of spiritual renewal, rebirth through repentance, and confession of sins.
A Christian must always strive for spiritual perfection; the Lord Jesus Christ calls us: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48),
But, during the festive holiday season we rejoice, filling ourselves with joy and weaken or slacken our spiritual efforts. However, now, as we approach Great Lent, we read the parable of Christ about the tax collector and the Pharisee. The Lord tells how they prayed. From the content of that parable and Christ's instructions, we come to understand that a person, standing for prayer before God, must rid oneself of self-love, pride, the sense of one’s merits, and gain humility before God.
Many Protestants are proud that they abolished all forms of fasting and bowing in their churches 300-400 years ago, but they forget that they continued long after that (and even now) to bow down to kings, to rulers in general, as well as to the rich and powerful people of this world.
The Church of Christ, through the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, teaches us that on the path of spiritual improvement, we should first of all seek not to praise our merits, but to acknowledge our sinfulness; as well, we should think less about the faults and imperfections of other people, and more about our negative aspects.
To what extent each of us is sinful -- God knows, and we can each sense this for ourselves with our conscience, which is the yardstick and radar of our soul. Nevertheless, it should be said that our society is being eaten away by conceit, self-love, pride in one's merits. And such diseases of the soul overwhelm both ordinary people and secular leaders, and sometimes church leaders.
Our pride in our merits has reached a painful state. We have so many people with a profusion of merits that in the halls, during various celebrations, the so-called “head tables” are placed not across or laterally, but lengthwise, and even so there is not enough room for all the meritorious. Yet, churches are sometimes half-empty during services. Of course, we have many meritorious citizens, but let us not forget that the Pharisee was also a meritorious man: he gave a tenth to the temple, from everything he acquired; he fasted twice a week. If there were someone among us who would give one-tenth of his earnings to the temple, then we would certainly greatly praise and glorify such a man.
His actions truly were good, but because the Pharisee thought and spoke disparagingly about his neighbour the publican and other people whom he considered to be "extortioners, unrighteous and adulterers," Christ did not justify such a good donor and formal executor of God's laws. God will more accept the prayer of the tax collector who was aware of his sinfulness and asked: "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" (Luke 18:13) And one must surmise that even the tax collector, as he was a believing person, surely had some merits or good deeds behind him; yet, he did not boast about them.
In our time, we feel the decline of cultural and educational, and congregational work in general. There is no one to work with young people, with children, in Ukrainian, as well as, often, in Sunday school. But simultaneously with that negative state, we are witnesses (and participants...) of an infinite number of different anniversaries, both private and public. We collect large sums of money for museums and monuments. But to establish an ordinary kindergarten for our children aged 3-5 (I refer to full-day and daily ones), we do not have enough funds or energy...
So, we create commemorations, we want to preserve our achievements in museums; but we do not exert ourselves so that good and necessary deeds are established now, in our difficult circumstances. If we are clear thinking, isn't our fuss -- about celebrating all kinds of anniversaries, publishing commemorative books, and conducting other similar activities -- pharisaic?
As we approach Great Lent--a time for spiritual renewal and improvement—let us think about the mentioned congregational shortcomings, and about our personal ones. Let us remember how much we have not accomplished what is needed in our families, in relation to our closest ones; what good we have done for our Church, for Christ's Community and how much we could do in the future...
If anyone of us has merit, that is good, commendable, and the Lord will thank us for that, even if people might forget, - for our treasures will be in heaven (Matthew 6:20); but let us approach Great Lent with the prayerful orientations of the publican. Let us remember Christ's instruction:
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
Amen.
Very Rev. Fr. Taras Slavchenko
Taras Slavchenko was born on March 8, 1918 in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. After graduating from school and the Pedagogical College, he entered the language and literature faculty of the Scientific Pedagogical Institute. Having successfully completed it in 1938, he served as a teacher in a secondary school.