Now we turn to the publican and see that he is the Pharisee’s
exact opposite in every regard. He stood afar off, and kept himself at a
great distance, not only in physical location, but in his demeanor, in his
words, and in his compunction of heart. He was ashamed to lift up his eyes to
heaven, for he considered his eyes unworthy of heavenly vision because they had
desired to see and to enjoy the good things of earth. And he smote himself upon
the breast, striking his heart, as it were, because of its evil designs, and
awakening it because it had been sleeping. And the publican said no other words
than, God be merciful to me a sinner. Because of all these things he went
down to his house counted righteous, rather than the other. For every proud
heart is unclean in the Lord’s eyes, and the Lord resiseth the proud but He
giveth grace to the humble. But one might wonder why it is that the
Pharisee is condemned for speaking a few boastful words, while Job receives a
crown for speaking many such words. The answer is that the Pharisee stood and
spoke these vain words under no compulsion, and he condemned others for no
reason. But with Job, his friends pressed him and bore down upon him more fiercely
than did his own calamities, telling him that he was suffering these things
because of his sins. Job was compelled to enumerate his good deeds, but he did
so for the glory of God, and so that men would not be misled from the path of
virtue. For if men came to hear that Job was suffering because what he had done
was sinful, they would not act as Job had. As a result they would become haters
of strangers instead of hospitable to strangers, merciless instead of merciful,
and unrighteous instead of righteous; for such were the good deeds of Job. Therefore
Job enumerated his virtues so that others would not be misled and harmed, and
this was why he spoke as he did. Oh that I were as in months past, he
said, wherein God preserved me! Do you see that he attributes everything
to God and does not judge others? Instead he is judged by his friends. But condemnation
rightly falls upon the Pharisee, who attributed everything to himself and not
to God and judged others for no reason whatever. For every one that exalteth
himself shall be humbled and condemned by God; and he that humbleth
himself when he is condemned by others shall be exalted and counted
righteous by God. The Lord is saying, “You, O Christian, be the first to tell
your sins, so that you may be counted righteous.” (Theophylact, The
Explanation of the Holy Gospel According to Luke [Blessed Theophylact’s
Explanation of the New Testament 3; Platina, Calif.: St. Herman of Alaska
Brotherhood, 2020], 237-38)
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