In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
“Where are you, O Adam?” cries the Lord from Heaven. And seeking the creature who bears His Image, God deigns to descend to the Earth to search for him. Not finding him on the Earth, and at the place of his skull, the Lord deigns even to enter the nethermost parts of the Earth, Hades, to be with His beloved. He humbled Himself—humbled to become incarnate, humbled to be misunderstood, humbled to be mocked and ridiculed, humbled to be arrested, humbled to be beaten, humbled to be crucified, humbled to enter Death—all that he may be raised up bringing Adam to new Life.
“When He ascended on high,” says the Apostle, quoting David,
‘He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.’
Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.
— Ephesians 4:8–10; see Psalm 67:19 Lxx
And so,
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
— Philippians 2:9–11
And having brought up Adam with Himself, He leaves with us the Word how we may participate with His rising. For if we desire to ascend with Him, we must first descend with Him. He gives, therefore, a parable.
Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
In today’s short Gospel, only five verses, so much meaning is conveyed. They, like we do, desired to ascend to God, so “went up to the Temple,” but for this to be profitable for them it was necessary for them to abase themselves, to descend, to humble themselves. “God, I thank You,” says the first, a good start! Yet he immediately continues—praying with himself rather than to the living God—“that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.” The second,
standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
For the better example of humility—which Christ has shown in His descent—is shown by the great sinner rather than by the outwardly righteous man.
And I consider my life, and my works, and my deeds. And standing before God I say, “I’m basically okay, I’ve not done anything too serious.” And for my sins I find justifications rather than repentance, for my transgressions I find another whom I perceive to be worse than I am, “at least I am not like him!” Yet my excuses run out, my evasions lose their lustre, I might squirm but it has no effect. Despite my protestations, I am the Pharisee. But not even that, at least the Pharisee tried to keep the Law, despite his hypocrisy, I do not even have that.
“God, be merciful to me a sinner!” This is not a prayer of morbidity, nor of resignation, nor of giving up, it is a prayer of reality. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance,” says the Apostle, “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (First Timothy 1:15) I cannot control other people’s sin, but I can do something about my own. And without justification, without pretext, without pretence, I could say to the Lord, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” For mercy is not solely about being “let off,” it is about generosity—all God does for us is mercy. And were I to live in this reality—not a charade where I believe myself righteous—but the reality of my sinfulness I would enable myself to receive God’s mercy more fully.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God has humbled Himself to come down to find each one of us, and without Him our destinies would be in the grave and death. Yet Christ humbled Himself to liberate us from its power. And if we are in Christ, we too must humble ourselves, we must descend with Him by accepting our own sin—not blaming others nor seeking excuses—and asking the mercy of God to pour over us. Let us be as the Publican, the Tax-collector, and too go up to the Temple by descending down in humility that we encounter Christ in our abasement and become heirs of eternal Life.
“God, be merciful to me a sinner!”
That we may offer true praise and worship to our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Whose humility is our example and Whose death brings Life, together with His unoriginate Father and the All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit. Amen.
Timothy, my son, you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, my sufferings, what befell me at Antioch, at lconion, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
— Second Timothy 3:10–15
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.”
— Luke 18:10–14