Trinity XI Sermon 2025

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous, and despised others.
(St. Luke xviii. 9)
 
         The Lectionary for Trinity Tide is rooted in love of God, duty towards God, and the Grace that enables us to love God and do our duty. On the 11th Sunday after Trinity we are taught the tools to embrace God’s Grace. The Gospel exhorts us to conquer pride and embrace humility. Pride is the deadliest of all the mortal sins and threatens to land us in Hell Fire and Damnation. Humility is the chief of all virtues, which opens our souls to God’s Grace. Humility must conquer all pride if we hope to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. Pride is a difficult habit to shake. Humility is an equally hard habit to acquire. Aristotle reminds us that we become good by doing good things. His point is that we must form and practice good habits.
        
In this morning’s Gospel, Christ shares a parable with us to reveal the cause for either pride or humility. He pictures the vice and the virtue in two very different men. We read that two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. (ibid, 10) We shall learn much from the way that each man prays. Their words will indicate where their souls are in relation to God.
Jesus tells us about the first man, a Pharisee.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (ibid, 11,12)
 
That the Pharisee is standing should not surprise us. Both ancient Jews and Christians stood to pray; kneeling was a later custom in the Western Church. But the Pharisee here takes his stand to pray. (Notes on the Parables, Ch. 29) No doubt, he chose a place of prominence so that others might see and notice him at prayer. He is much like contemporary Christians who have their seat in church, front and center, marked out for prominence, so that people may see how important they imagine themselves to be. The Pharisee segregates himself from all others, at a noticeable distance from all immoral and unclean sinners who must pray in the back. The Pharisee is full of pride. Pride is superbia in Latin and means haughtiness or pomposity. We hear about it in his words. God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are. (ibid, 11) The Pharisee considers himself to be better than and superior to all other men. He doesn’t measure his life against God’s perfect purity but in relation to other men. Since he is unconscious of any sin that would need any mercy, he thanks God that he is not a sinner. God is his cheerleader who is called in to bless his good life. Like all proud and arrogant men, he vaunts himself and boasts, to convince himself of his own goodness. I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. (idem) He judges himself in comparison to notorious sinners. He notices the Publican at the back of the church and is sure that he is not as sinful as he. Because the Publican looks down and beats his breast, the Pharisee concludes that sins must be notorious.
        
If that wasn’t enough, the Pharisee will not only tell us what sins he never commits but what virtues he exemplifies. I fast twice in the week (ibid, 12). More than Moses’ fasting once a year on the Day of Atonement, the Pharisee does better. I give tithes of all that I possess. (idem) He gives not only one-tenth of his produce and cattle, but he even gives gold. The Pharisee thinks himself not just good but very good. He is determined to hide any hint of weakness or sin from all other men, from himself, and from God. He is full of arrogant hubris, or pride. At the root of his soul, we surmise that he must be a very insecure person. Insecure people have to count up and calculate evidence of their quantitative goodness.

Next, we see the Publican. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (ibid, 13) The Publican has nothing to count up. He has little to say on his own behalf. He can lift neither his head nor his hands up to Heaven. He is full of remorse and sadness because he knows himself to be a sinner in need of God’s Grace. He reminds us of the prophet Ezra.
O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. (Ezra ix. 6)
 
His sins are too many to name. He is honest about himself and the condition of his soul. He dares not count up any good deeds because, still, he could be so much better and needs to perfect so much more virtue. Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. (St. Luke xv. 21) Compared to what God expects of him, he has failed. In the presence of God, he is worm and no man; the very scorn of men and outcast of the people. (Ps. xxii. 6) He judges himself by God alone and cannot compare himself with all other men. From God alone he begs mercy, because from God alone can he find Grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews iv. 6) He has humbled himself under the Mighty Hand of God. (1 Peter v. 6) His prostration in humility alone can open to the door of God’s healing. He stood afar off, not because he was forbidden to come closer, for he was a Jew. His own humility keeps him at a distance from the front rows of the church because that might make him proud and arrogant. To come up higher or take a prominent seat is God’s alone to give. He smote upon his breast, knowing that God should smite him into Hell. He is not insecure but honest. He cannot tell us how good he is since in relation to God he is a sinner. But he does not despair. As far from God as he has traveled, still he pleads for God’s mercy.
        
Jesus tells us that this man, the Publican, went down to his house justified (ibid, 14) and not the Pharisee. Justified means made right with God. Went down to his house means having received the forgiveness of God in time and space, and not only in Heaven. This man was justified as forgiven and, thus, senses the inward presence of God’s Grace.
        
The virtue of humility is reinforced by St. Paul in today’s Epistle. He writes, For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (1 Cor. xv. 9) St. Paul was originally a proud Pharisee who also persecuted Christians. More than just comparing himself with the Publicans as their superior, he persecuted them. The Publican is a model for the humble Christian who absolutely needs God’s Grace. St. Paul rounded Christians up for persecution and even consented to their deaths. (Acts viii. 1) Of course, eventually, Christ finally slew Paul in the spirit, on the Road to Damascus. This Pharisee of the Pharisees would be thrown off the high horse of his own pride. This Pharisee of the Pharisees would discover humility. Paul would have to be humbled to become a true Christian. He tells us that
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (ibid, 10)
 
Finally, St. Paul embraced the Grace of God like today’s publican. Only God’s Grace could make Paul good. He was justified, or made right with God, only once he realized that his self-conscious righteousness must be put to death. His humility enabled him to receive God’s Grace. St. Paul, with today’s Publican, knew that humility alone can pray
Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy Grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure.
(Collect: Trinity XI)
 
God’s Grace alone enables us to move and even run in the way of His commandments. God’s Grace alone begins to bring His promises to life in our hearts. God’s Grace alone showers us with heavenly treasures. We must pray for this Grace. But first, with today’s Publican, we must sit at the back of the church, beat our breasts, confess our sins, claim no goodness, compare ourselves with no other men, but admit who and what we are in the presence of God’s perfect purity. Only then can the sweet forgiveness of God pass from Him to us as the gift of love for our salvation. God be merciful to me a sinner.

Amen.
©wjsmartin