Two men went up
into the temple to pray;
the one a Pharisee,
the other a Publican.
The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with himself.
"God,
I thank Thee that
I have not fallen into the temptations
to extort
to be unjust
or commit adultery.
I thank Thee
that I am able to fast twice
in the week
and give tithes of all that I possess."
And the Publican,
standing afar off,
would not so much as lift
his eyes to heaven,
but smote his breast,
saying,
"God be merciful unto me
a sinner like everyone else."
Who goes home justified?
[PAUSE]
What is different from
the real story?
The Pharisee seems thankful.
The Publican seems to be
playing down his sinfulness.
The real difference between
the two situations is subtle
but devastating.
[PAUSE]
In the original situation,
the First Pharisee exalts himself
and compares himself with others.
In the new situation,
the Second Pharisee is
simply giving thanks
but makes no reference to others.
In the original situation,
the First Publican grieves for his own sin
and begs for mercy.
In the new situation,
the Second Publican
compares himself
with others
as if safety in numbers will
somehow make his sins
less awful.
Both are forms of self-exaltation.
[PAUSE]
Exaltation can only work
by being compared with others.
It's about how we see ourselves
with others
and use that comparison
to our advantage.
The Second Pharisee comes across
as having a better relationship with God.
He appears humbler;
he recognises that
he could fall into temptation
and sin;
he recognises that
he is lucky enough
to be able to fast and pay tithes.
But he does not compare himself
with the Publican.
He compares himself
with who he might have been.
And he is thankful.
That is more honest
because the Pharisee
knows himself better
than he does the Publican.
Every form of self-exaltation
happens after we make
a judgement
- an incomplete judgement -
about someone else
and see ourselves as better
or at least no worse.
If our justice system
worked the same way,
using incomplete information
to judge cases,
we would be outraged
at the miscarriages of justice.
Our legal system
works by gathering
all available and relevant evidence
in order to make a clear judgement
within reasonable doubt.
That's how we keep order
in society.
But self-exaltation
is not for the good of society
but our own selfishness.
It arises from
a lack of information
about others
and about ourselves.
And the information we seek
about others
we have no right to
whatsoever.
[PAUSE]
Both Pharisees and both Publicans
go to pray.
They recognise the need to pray,
or at least to be seen to pray.
But prayer must be rooted in truth,
because God is the truth.
If we come before God
with deceit in our hearts
how could we hope to be heard?
And self-exaltation is deceit
because it is based on information
about others
which we cannot possess.
[PAUSE]
The antidote to self-exaltation
is humility.
It is being honest with God
in prayer:
evaluating critically our own actions
against God's word;
confessing and repenting sins;
being thankful
when we could have taken
a darker path but didn't;
remembering that we are loved
completely by God
Who wants our perfection.
Then we shall go home
justified truly
and truly blessed.
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