Luke 18:10-14

The Lord spoke this parable: “Two men went up to 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 as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, 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!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Two people came to the temple to pray, two completely different people. One lived piously, and the other led the evil way of life. One was respected by all, and the other was despised by all, including the church people of that time!

And the first one leaves the temple condemned, and the second one — justified.

This Pharisee was indeed a very godly man. He carefully and happily observed all the prescribed fasts. He gave tithes to the temple on all his purchases. And finally, we must trust him that he was neither a robber, nor an offender, nor an adulterer. In a word, if all of us in our external deeds of piety were at least not lower than him, it would not be bad at all. One verse of what we have read yesterday at the evening service meant literally this, prompting us follow him in this respect.

As for the publican, you cannot say anything like that about him. His very occupation testifies to this: the tax collectors collected taxes in favor of the Roman emperor, and besides the fact that they helped the enemy, occupational government, they themselves profited from the enslavement and humiliation of their people.

Christ Himself constantly equates them either with sinners in general, or with adulterers and harlots. This occupation was one of the most despisable, and those who were prone to all kinds of dishonesty went into it.

And so, they are standing in the temple and praying.

One remembers his merits, the other, realizing who he is, not daring to look at the sky, hits his chest and says: God, be merciful to me, a sinner…

And the Lord accepts prayer regardless of our merits and sins, but not just any kind of prayer.

This tax collector, who understood who he was, was heard. And the other one was rejected, because he forgot about the most important thing. While listing his virtues, he forgot that we are all children of the fallen Adam, who himself fell away from God and in his falling away gave birth to us to be like himself.

That all of our righteousness, no matter how good it is by human standards, is only fragments of the image of God according to which man was created.

That besides that, there is still sinfulness, which separates us from God, and it has part in everything, in every aspect of our life.

He forgot that the ways and thoughts of God are as much higher than our own as heaven is higher than the earth, and in order to return to God, one must first understand where we are, how far we are from Him, what is the depth of the abyss… How ridiculous are the words of the Pharisee on this background about, that he fasts twice a week and gives tithes on everything he has!

What about the fact that Christ had to not only come into this world, but suffer the Cross and give His life? In order to save people.

But the self-satisfaction (self-esteem) of the Pharisee seemed to dominate in his spirit, so dominant it was that it completely obscured from him the true picture of what was happening in his soul, and or this world…, and also made him steal the judgement from God…, justifying himself, and looking down at his brother…

He looked in the false mirror, with not God as this mirror, but himself…

He placed himself where the Christ’s Sacrifice seems useless, or excessive.

So, he himself left the place where the prayer is heard by God.

Anyone who humbles himself will be exalted, but who exalts himself will be humiliated (Luke 18:14). And the other very important truth: “The healthy do not need the Physician…”

Every time before Great Lent, we hear this parable as a warning not to lose or spoil our Great Lent.

Fasting is a time of intense prayer, but not all of our prayers are pleasing to God.

And if we go to church, fast, read the Gospel every day, perform prayers in the morning and evening, and at the same time look down on others and say: “Thank you, Lord, that we are not like other people, offenders, adulterers, oppressors, but we fast twice a week, or even every day, and do other things and so on”, then it turns out that we are the disciples of the Pharisees, and not of Christ. And maybe we tried to do the commandments, but not quite painstaking, as the holy fathers say… and thus see only some superficial signs of the illness…

God, have mercy on me, a sinner! Let us try to practice and feel this prayer.

Amen.

Today in the Holy Gospel we have heard the name, that we all hear while we are blessing the houses: “…even as He brought salvation to the house of Zacchaeus” – says the prayer.

Or, as we have just prayed during the Baptismal blessing of houses: “…Who condescended to enter under the roof of Zacchaeus, to bring salvation to him and to all his house…”

And The Old Testament Church used to be referred as the house of Abraham, and of all his righteous descendants, Isaac, Jacob.

And the verses we read during the Holy Theopahny are calling for the house of God which at that time was the Old Testament people – and now the Holy Church – to confess that the Lord is good; for His mercy endures forever.

At the time of the Old Testament saints, they were the examples of righteousness. They were chosen and tested, touched by God, — to tempt and check as for what they really depended on, what and whom they really trusted…

Today we hear about the house of Zacchaeus.

The man of a low statue (not very tall), who was also chosen by God to host Him.

The man of a low respect… Or, as St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says in him homily: “…Zacchaeus, was a publican with seniority over other publicans. He possessed significant wealth, as the Gospels relate, hinting about the way he obtained that wealth. “Publicans” were what they called tax collectors. It was tempting money! The sparkle of gold and silver charms the eyes of Adam’s descendants infected with sinfulness, and where money passes from hand to hand, abuse almost inevitably creeps in…” And then he also says: “a sinner given to the passion of greed, acting out of this passion by unjust tax collection and a multiplicity of offenses against his neighbor.”

But the Gospel disappoints this “natural” state of things:

“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wronged any man of any thing, I restore him fourfold [four times].”

And “Jesus said to him: This day has salvation come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Again, … to seek and to save that which was lost.” Not those who are satisfied and content, especially, by the righteousness of the others: “Create a worthy fruit of repentance. And do not think to say in yourself: “our father is Abraham,” for I tell you that God can raise children from the[se] stones to Abraham.” (Matthew, chapter 3)

And this tax-collector didn’t say: I’m so very glad to see you, O Lord, I’m Zacchaeus, the son of Abraham… So, what can I do for you?

Instead, he told: I’m so happy to host you, because I was lost without you, and now with you I will be living a different life, and I will rebuild the Jerusalem inside of me.

“because all have sinned and lack the glory of God”, — says Apostle Paul, the son of Abraham and the spiritual brother of Zacchaeus”.

And all the commandments (plus our conscience) should, first of all, reveal this truth, the spiritual decay and death, and thus the need not in just a teacher, but the Saviour: to be saved by constant and acting, and painstaking repentance, and not by any hidden wisdom or a kinship.

And there is another thing to consider, and St. Ignatius says in the same sermon:

“The Holy Gospels can be compared to a mirror. Each of us can see, if we so desire, the state of our soul reflected in them [in the Gospels], and find that all-powerful healing offered to us by the all-powerful physician, the Lord.”

Let us remember, that what is the best and the highest in this world is very often useless and harmful for the reconciliation with God.

That’s why the Lord today again preferred to stay with a “sinner”. Amen

We have heard again today in the Gospel reading several words, which express the whole meaning of Christian life: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near (or at hand). This is how Saint John the Baptist taught, and with these words Christ began to preach today.

The Savior came out to preach after John the Baptist was imprisoned: first, people themselves had to do everything they could! And John the Baptist is representing all the people.

John the Baptist, the one who bore the signs of repentance on and in himself, completed his ministry, and then the time has come for God, who became Man, to start acting.

And now Christ from Judea, where He appeared as One of the Trinity, at the Jordan at Baptism, goes to Galilee, and preaches there. Why?

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles…”

He goes to those who are more open to His word.

“The people who sat in the darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”

The Galileans were simple people, they were less taught of the Law of God, but there was less distance between what they knew and what they did. That is why Christ begins his preaching among them. (We know that all twelve apostles and almost all of Christ’s disciples during His earthly life were from Galilee [ˈgælɪliː]. This fact is actually sad, isn’t it?)

So, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’

Repent means change. The word repentance means change of mind, change of heart; and only from there does life itself changes, that is, our actions, words and deeds.

But “repent” also means – to see, as we should clearly see, what we should change, or rather should let the Lord change it in us!

If these words were said to the Jews, that means, they had already had the way to see. That means they have already been given the eyes to see.

What are those eyes?

First of all, these are the commandments they had been given!

“Painstaking fulfillment of the commandments teaches man about his weakness” (4:9) (It does not sound too simple, does it? So, let’s take a look.)

We can see that the vision of St. John the Baptist (or the vision, the spiritual eyesight of St. Mary of Egypt) led them to the wilderness, the dessert of repentance.

But the “healthy” (cf. Mt 9:12) have no need of a physician, and no need of Christ. The vision of the “healthy” (or, spiritually self-sufficient), though they saw and had the same commandments, led them to the cursing of Christ, to the council that betrayed Christ to the Romans for crucifixion… The “healthy” crucify Christ.

We could also try to remember and listen what St. John replied to those who asked him what to do to repent. The advice written in the Gospel (and also read during these days) is as follows:

“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” And:

“Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Two things: temperance in our life and mercy to our neighbour…

We do not get rewards from God for doing the commandments of God, or for living according to our conscience (which is however quite weak), or for being loving to those who hate us (maybe just at the moment of their or our weakness…). They can be self-rewarding, but they can as well be kind of a hard temptation…

What the fulfillment of the commandments does is open our spiritual eyes, and enable us to really see who and where we are. There is no other way to recognize our infirmities — no one can simply “teach” us about them. On the contrary, many (of this world) would try to blur our spiritual sight… , and we are often not at all inclined to resist it.

The fulfillment of the commandments reveals the ailments (diseases) of the soul and spirit.

Without this foundation, no other virtues are possible. Moreover, virtues themselves, without spiritual poverty, can lead a person into a very dangerous state—into vanity, pride, and other sins…

On the other hand, the words that we have heard today sound so simple, as if this (this foundation) is the only thing necessary, and the Kingdom of Heaven is as near as at hand for those who repent. Amen.

«And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins» (Mark 1:5).

The very word baptism (‘baptizo’) means to immerse or submerge in water. The existence of such a practice among the Jews was well known. However, St. John Chrysostom, comparing Jewish water purification with the baptism of John, says: “The baptism of John was far superior to the Jewish one.”

What made John’s baptism higher? First and foremost, the evangelists highlight a unique trait: «people were baptized … confessing their sins.» John did not simply immerse people in water for the sake of a ritual cleansing but required those coming to him to confess their sins. In the New Testament, John’s baptism is repeatedly called a baptism of repentance (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 19:4).

And, of course, there is more: John the Baptist himself viewed his baptism as preparatory, saying: «I baptize you with water, but One mightier than I is coming… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire» (Luke 3:16). The Mightier One, who was to come, is our Lord Jesus Christ. It is evident that John, being a prophet, recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah when he saw Him: «John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'» (John 1:29).

So, ultimately, this is why John’s baptism is greater than any of the previous ones!

«But John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?'»

And indeed, this is true and righteous! It is true like the law itself!

Everyone who came to John at the Jordan was baptized, confessing their sins. But of Christ, it is said: «When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water» (Matthew 3:16). The word «immediately» indicates that, unlike all others being baptized, Christ stood in the water without saying anything, without confessing anything. And this was not only because of His moral purity but because of His absolute sinlessness!

But… Jesus answered him, «Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.» Then John allowed Him (Matthew 3:14–15).

Let us recall Christ’s words: «Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill» (Matthew 5:17).

And also: «The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it.» (Luke 16:16).

All the prophets foretold and awaited the Messiah. All the Scriptures and all prophecies are about Him (John 5:39). The moment had arrived. The Messiah had come and was stepping into His ministry. The New Covenant was at hand.

And it sounds like this: «Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world» (John 1:29).

Not requiring any purification, being immaculate and sinless, He was baptized to become the Lamb of God – to take the sins of humanity upon Himself. In the [old] Slavonic language, the word baptism sounds like crucifixion

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is also called Theophany.   The Holy Fathers point out that the creation of the world (and of humanity) and its salvation involve all Persons of the Holy Trinity. Regarding the creation of humanity, it is written: «Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness» (Genesis 1:26). Similarly, in the creation of the cosmos (the universe): the Father wills, the Son creates (Hebrews 1:2), and the Holy Spirit sanctifies: «And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters» (Genesis 1:2). The Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan mirrors creation: water as the primal element of the world, the Son accomplishing the work of salvation, the Father testifying to the Son’s divinity, and the Holy Spirit descending to anoint the Lord Jesus, in the form of a dove.

In the Old Testament culture, the dove was perceived as a symbol of meekness and innocence. Thus, the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove signifies that Christ’s ministry would be one of humility and gentleness (cf. Matthew 11:29). Additionally, the dove is associated with the good news of salvation, mercy, and forgiveness, as seen in the story of Noah, where a dove brought news of the flood’s end and the beginning of new life.

From this moment, the Messiah’s ministry was entrusted to the Lord Jesus – a public ministry manifest in preaching, miracles, healings, and ultimately, His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

«This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased» (Matthew 3:17). The Father’s goodwill, therefore, is to be understood as the full revelation of His love for His creation through the messianic ministry of the Son: «For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life» (John 3:16).

It is at such a price that the Lord renews creation, the price of our regeneration! «Behold, I make all things new,» — says the Book of Revelation (Revelation 21:5).

Concerning baptism by the Spirit, let us hear St. Gregory the Theologian: «This grace and power of Baptism do not submerge the world (in the flood of water) as in ancient times,» writes the saint in his homily on the Holy Baptism, «but cleanse sin in every person and completely wash away all impurity and defilement brought about by corruption. Since we are made of two natures—soul and body, the visible and the invisible—the cleansing is twofold: with water and the Spirit. One is received visibly and physically, while the other is accomplished invisibly and spiritually; one is symbolic, and the other is true, cleansing the very depths [of the soul and spirit].»

Concerning baptism by fire, let us hear the holy Apostle Paul: «For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good» (Titus 2:11–14). Amen!

Today, on Sunday after the Nativity of Christ, we hear the Gospel story about the fleeing of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin with the infant Jesus to Egypt (Mt. 1:18-25).

And in this story, in addition to Joseph, Mary and Jesus, it is said about the first enemy of Christ — King Herod. It was from his anger that the Holy Family fled to Egypt, it was he who became responsible for the death of thousands of innocent babies. He also killed many devout servants and even his own wife and sons. He thought they would take his power from him.

In the liturgical texts of the Church, Herod is called an insane man. And what indicated the main reason for Herod’s madness – was that for him «there was no God.» In other words, the whole life of his took place only in the earthly perspective, or in still other words – he chose a sad fate of becoming a god for himself…

But here we also see another man, Joseph.

The gospel says very little about him. When he was already betrothed to Mary, it was discovered that She had in the womb the one of the Holy Spirit (which he however got to know later). At that moment, Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to make Her public, wanted to secretly let Her go.

Behind these two or three phrases of the evangelist about Joseph is the personal drama (personal conflict, a great inward temptation).

He is called righteous for neglecting the law. He is called righteous rather for being merciful and humble; that was especially meet and right at that moment.

When in a dream an angel appears to him strengthening him, Joseph immediately rebuilds his whole way of life. From that moment on, his life is entirely devoted to Mary and the Baby, Who is not his son, but the Son of God. And in order to preserve Mary’s virginity – for we believe that Mary remained a Virgin in Her marriage, and we profess Her ever-virginity — in order to preserve the life of the Baby, in order to share with Him his earthly genealogy – for His Son to be accepted by the Jews — Joseph assumes the role of the head of the family.

They flee from Herod’s wrath to Egypt, and Joseph guards and protects Mary and the Baby. Later, after learning about the death of the wicked king, they return to Judea and settle within the borders of Bethlehem.

Unlike Herod, Joseph is ready to renounce everything and sacrifice both his honor and his life for the Child and for the Christ.

Whole nations sometimes face such a choice. The Jewish people stood before the face of Christ, and had such a choice. They could accept Him as their Savior, or could reject Him.

And unfortunately they rejected Him, though not all of them, because we also commemorate St. Apostle Jacob (James), who made a different choice and was the first bishop martyr, the first church leader (church hierarch) martyr.

And, as if in contrast to king Herod, we also venerate today the first righteous King — David the king, about whom the Scriptures say that there was no other king in Israel, so pleasing to God as King David.

When King Saul (the first king of Israel), learned that, according to God’s definition, David would be king, in his place, he hated David. Saul drove and persecuted David throughout Israel, trying to destroy him by all means.

But several times it happened that David could easily kill Saul, because Saul found himself at an arm’s length from him, not knowing about it, sleeping. And never did David take this chance to harm the anointed by God.

Think about our people, how and what we did… with on-going consequences…

So, we have again approached the manger today, and we contemplate the Baby…

Let us remember what St. Simeon said about the child: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”

So, let us clean and strengthen our hearts, dear brothers and sisters, by all means that we are given in the Church, and by looking at the lives of the saints that we commemorate today. Through whose prayers may the Lord bless and strengthen us!

Merry Christmas! Christ is born!

Amen.