• Pride is the ultimate vice. It mocks God and even condemns the soul that does good works like fasting and tithing. The Pharisee was condemned because he attributed his goodness to himself and despised others.

• The Pharisee's prayer failed because he "prayed with himself," praised his own accomplishments, and asked for nothing. True prayer requires asking and admitting spiritual need.

• The tax collector's physical acts of shame (downcast eyes, smiting his breast) and his simple plea, "God, be merciful [to me a sinner]," demonstrated the humility that brings people closer to God.

• Humility outweighs righteousness. It is the "elasticity" that lifts the soul, while pride is the "weight" that drags down all virtue.

Prayer and Pride

St. Augustine explains the connection between the previous passage and the new parable.

• The new parable is added because faith is a gift of the humble, not of the proud. Christ introduces the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (tax collector) "concerning humility and against pride."

Theophylact focuses on the destructive nature of pride and explains the purpose of the parable.

• Pride is the most damaging of all the passions, so it requires frequent warnings.

• It is fundamentally a "contempt of God," because when a person "ascribes the good he does to himself and not to God," they are essentially denying God's role.

• The parable is for those who "trust in themselves" so much that they refuse to give credit to God. "Righteousness, although it may bring man up to God, yet if he is clothed with pride, casts him down to hell."

A Greek Exegete connects the parable to the previous lesson on prayer.

• The parable of the persistent widow and the judge taught that we must be diligent and persistent in prayer.

• The current parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector now teaches us that we should direct our prayers to God so they are not fruitless.

• The Pharisee prayed carelessly, focusing inward instead of upwards toward God.

Theophylact focuses on the physical stance of the Pharisee. [1]

• The Pharisee is described as "standing" to show his haughty, prideful posture. The posture itself shows extreme pride.

St. Basil the Great focuses on the phrase that the Pharisee "spoke this prayer to himself."

• It is said that he "spoke this prayer to himself" because he was not praying to God. 

• The Pharisee's pride was so great, that his prayer reflected into himself.

St. Augustine precisely identifies the fatal flaw in the Pharisee's prayer.

• The Pharisee's "fault was not that he gave God thanks," but rather "that he asked for nothing further."

  1. He felt self-sufficient and saw no need for God's mercy.

  2. Even though he acknowledges God, his pride fights against grace. Proudly thanking God even though he is condemned. 

• Worse than mere pride are those who believe that their righteousness comes from themselves, then thank God for themselves. 

Pride of the Pharisee

Theophylact focuses on the structure and rhetorical flaw in the Pharisee's prayer.

• The intentional structure of the Pharisee's prayer reveals his pride:

  1. Beginning with negative comparisons, declaring what he is not: "That I am not as other men are." He immediately defines his righteousness by the failings of others.

  2. Then, after establishing superiority, he lists his own virtues. Elevating himself even further above "other men."

St. Augustine emphasizes the extreme, encompassing nature of the Pharisee's pride.

• The Pharisee could have at least been charitable enough to say "as most men." But by saying "other men," he includes "all besides himself" in his condemnation.

• He sees only himself as righteous and essentially declares, "I am righteous, he says, the rest are sinners."

Pope St. Gregory the Great details the various ways in which the pride of self-confident men manifests.

• When they imagine that the good that is in them comes from themselves. This denies God's grace.

• When they believe any good does come from God, they think that it is because they earned it.

• When they brag about a virtue they have, when they really do not.

• Like the Pharisee, when despising others, they try to highlight a single good they do have.

St. Augustine highlights the extreme arrogance of the Pharisee.

• The Pharisee took the opportunity for a fresh occasion of pride by comparing himself to the tax collector.

• His statement implies that he alone is righteous and the tax collector is "one of the others."

The Dangers of Pride

St. John Chrysostom condemns the Pharisee's pride and points out his greatest offense.

• "To despise the whole race of man was not enough for him." The Pharisee's sin became greater when he chose to attack the nearby tax collector.

• The Pharisee's accusation ("Or even like this tax collector") was a double offense:

  1. He "assails the absent" ("the rest of humanity").

  2. He "inflicts a wound on him who was present."

• The Pharisee failed because he centered his prayer on contempt for others rather than devotion to God.

St. Basil the Great focuses on the subtle difference between pride and scorning.

• The scorner is outwardly engaged in "reviling others" (attacking them).

• The proud man (Pharisee) is focused on "presumptuously extolling himself" (self-praise).

St. John Chrysostom explains the profound and multi-layered harm caused by the Pharisee's act.

• Those who hear the condemnation are "rendered worse."

1. If they are sinners, they feel "glad in finding one as guilty as themselves."

2. If they are righteous, they become "exalted," thinking more highly of themselves by comparison.

• The entire "body of the Church suffers." Outsiders may blame the Church as a whole, instead of just blaming the guilty individual.

• The "glory of God is evil spoken of." Just like good works glorify God, sins like constant complaint and disrespect "cause it to be blasphemed".

• The person being criticized is "confounded and becomes more reckless and immovable." Instead of repenting, they are pushed further into sin by the scorn.

• The person making the accusation (condemnation) "is himself made liable to punishment" for saying things that are not appropriate for a believer.

On Battling Vice

Theophylact discusses the Pharisee's listing of his positive religious observances.

• After establishing what he is not (shunning evil: not greedy, dishonest, or adulterous), the Pharisee proceeds to list what he does (doing good).

  1. Avoiding adultery, he fasts twice a week. Fasting is against adultery because "lust is born of luxury." Fasting subdues the body and prevents lust.

  2. Avoiding greed, he tithes on his whole income. Willingly giving up a portion of his own wealth, the Pharisee demonstrates that he is "so far am I from indulging in extortion or injuring, that I even give up what is my own."

Pope St. Gregory the Great offers a powerful metaphor for the failure of the Pharisee's piety.

• The Pharisee's heart is like a fortress, seemingly protected through "prayer and fasting." However, all his efforts were "in vain" because the pride created a critical weakness.

• No matter how many defenses he might put up, it is useless as long as there is a weakness that the enemy can take advantage of.

Pharisee vs. Tax Collector

St. Augustine draws a sharp distinction between the Pharisee and the tax collector.

• The Pharisee "goes up indeed to pray, but instead of asking God, praises himself." He essentially "asked nothing of God" but insults the one who does.

• The tax collector was "driven by his stricken conscience afar off." This distance created by his guilt became the very thing that saved him.

  1. His genuine remorse and humility (his piety) ultimately brought him closer to God.

Theophylact focuses on the tax collector's contrite body language and humble prayer.

• Even though the tax collector is said to have stood, he was much different from the Pharisee in many ways including his heart.

  1. Eyes Downcast: He "would not even raise his eyes to heaven," deeming them "unworthy of the heavenly vision" because they had sinned by gazing on earthly things.

  2. Beating his breast: He "beat his breast," which is an act of both self-punishment and spiritual awareness. The beating of his chest means he is aware of his evil thoughts and is an act of waking up his heart, as though it were asleep.

• All these actions simply means he "sought only that God would be reconciled to him" through mercy. His entire prayer was a humble plea: "God, be merciful."

St. John Chrysostom contrasts the pride of the Pharisee with the humility of the tax collector.

• The tax collector heard the Pharisee's cruel words, but he was not angry. Instead, he was "pricked to the heart," meaning the insult drove him further into repentance.

• The Pharisee "uncovered the wound" (the tax collector's sin), while the tax collector immediately "seeks for its remedy" (God's mercy).

• No one should use the excuse "I dare not, I am ashamed, I cannot open my mouth" when seeking God's mercy. The devil will use that precisely to keep sinners away from God.

St. Augustine ties together all the elements of the parable.

• The tax collector's success is amazing because he "stood afar off, yet drew near to God." The physical distance didn't matter because his genuine piety brought him close spiritually.

• He "lifted not so much as his eyes to heaven," choosing not to look so that God might look upon him instead.

• His conscience "weighed him down," but "hope raised him up."

• He "smote his own breast," effectively "exacting judgment upon himself. Therefore did the Lord spare the penitent."

Pride vs. Humility

St. John Chrysostom provides a powerful allegory of two chariots to explain the parable.

• The parable presents "to us two chariots on the race course." One chariot has righteousness and pride, the other has sin and humility.

  1. Righteousness is weighed down by the "weight and swelling of pride." The pride easily surpasses righteousness.

  2. The chariot of sin wins, not by its own strength, but by the "excellence of humility." Humility, by its "own elasticity," rises above the weight of pride and "leaping up reaches to God."

• Proud righteousness fails because even if you are "earnest and constant in well doing," you lack the fruits of prayer when you boast.

• If you "bears a thousand loads of guilt on your conscience," but sincerely believe you are the "lowest of all men," you "shall gain much confidence before God."

• So Christ explains "for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

  1. Humility of Virtue: The spiritual state leading to salvation, as in the Psalm: "A humble and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." [2] 

  2. Humility from Sorrow: Imposed by suffering or affliction, as: "He has humbled my life upon the earth." [3] This is the self-humiliation and sadness that comes from recognizing one's own sinfulness, as seen in the tax collector.

  3. Humility (Lowness) from Vices: This describes the moral corruption of those who pursue earthly things: "low and debased than those who grovel in riches and power, and count them great things." This is a negative sense of "lowliness."

St. Basil the Great clarifies the difference between true loftiness of mind (a virtue) and the false elevation of pride (a vice).

• The true elevation of the mind is seen when there is:

  1. Cheerfulness amidst sorrow.

  2. A "noble dauntlessness in trouble," being fearless in good principles. 

  3. "A contempt of earthly things," not being attached to the temporary things of this world. 

  4. "A conversation in heaven," focusing on spiritual matters.

• A virtuous loftiness comes from a disciplined mind that is guided towards virtue, like "the stoutness of a well-regulated body" (healthy, firm muscle).

• Sinful elevation comes from pride, self-swelling, and a hatred of others, this is like "the swelling of the flesh which proceeds from dropsy" (unhealthy, diseased bloat).

The Power of Humility

St. John Chrysostom serves a powerful conclusion to the parable, summarizing the transcendent power of humility and the destructive force of pride.

• Humility saved the tax collector before the Pharisee. It brought the thief into Paradise before the Apostles. 

• With sin, as long as there is humility, will be much greater than the righteous person who is prideful. So with both righteousness and humility, that soul could stand boldly "by the judgment-seat of God in the midst of the angels."

• If pride can ruin a soul that has righteousness, "to what a hell will it thrust men when added to sin? This I say not that we should neglect righteousness, but that we should avoid pride."

Theophylact addresses a theological question: Why is the Pharisee condemned for praising himself, when the righteous Job spoke extensively of his own virtues?

• The Pharisee is condemned because his self-praise came at the same time that he "groundlessly accused others." His intent was self-exaltation and condemnation of his neighbor.

• Job, however, "was compelled by an urgent necessity to enumerate his own virtues." So that others may "not fall away from the path of virtue" due to his suffering. He spoke his virtues to honor God.

St. Bede provides the allegorical interpretation of the parable.

• The Pharisee represents the Jewish people. They "boast of their ornaments" (ritual purity and good works) because of the "righteousness of the law."

• The tax collector represents the Gentiles, who are "at a distance from God," but honestly "confess their sins." This genuine contrition makes them "thought worthy to draw near and be exalted."