Church Fathers Commentary Luke 18:9-14

"And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get. But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." — Luke 18:9-14 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: Since faith is a gift not for the proud but for the humble, our Lord goes on to add a parable about humility and against pride.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Pride, more than any other passion, disturbs the human mind, which is why there are such frequent warnings against it. It is also contempt for God; for when a person ascribes the good they do to themselves and not to God, what is this but a denial of God?

For the sake of those, then, who trust in themselves so much that they will not attribute everything to God—and therefore despise others—He puts forth a parable. This parable shows that while righteousness may bring a person to God, if that person is clothed with pride, it casts them down to hell.

Greek Expositors: In the parable of the widow and the judge, our Lord taught the lesson of being diligent in prayer. Now He instructs us how we should direct our prayers to Him, so that they may not be fruitless. The Pharisee was condemned because he prayed heedlessly, as it says, The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It says he was standing to denote his arrogant disposition, for his very posture reveals his extreme pride.

St. Basil the Great: He prayed with himself—that is, not with God. His sin of pride sent him back into himself. It follows, God, I thank you.

St. Augustine of Hippo: His fault was not that he gave God thanks, but that he asked for nothing more. Because you are full and abounding, you feel no need to say, Forgive us our debts. What then must be the guilt of one who impiously fights against grace, when a person who proudly gives thanks is condemned? Let those listen who say, “God made me a man, but I made myself righteous.” Oh, how much worse and more hateful this is than the Pharisee, who, though he proudly called himself righteous, at least gave thanks to God for it.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Observe the order of the Pharisee’s prayer. He first speaks of what he is not, and then of what he is. As it follows, That I am not as other men are.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He might at least have said, “as many men.” For what does he mean by “other men” but everyone besides himself? He is saying, “I am righteous; the rest are sinners.”

St. Gregory the Great: The pride of self-confident people presents itself in different forms. They may imagine that the good in them comes from themselves. Or, while believing it is given to them from above, they think they have received it because of their own merits. Or, they may boast that they have what they do not actually possess. Or finally, by despising others, they aim to appear unique in possessing what they have. It is in this last respect that the Pharisee especially awards himself the merit for his good works.

St. Augustine of Hippo: See how he draws from the publican near him a fresh occasion for pride. It follows, Or even as this publican. It is as if he says, “I stand alone; he is one of the others.”

St. John Chrysostom: To despise the whole human race was not enough for him; he had to also attack the publican. He still would have sinned, but far less, if he had spared the publican. But now, in one phrase, he both assails those who are absent and wounds the one who is present. To give thanks is not to heap reproaches on others. When you return thanks to God, let Him be all in all to you. Do not turn your thoughts to other people or condemn your neighbor.

St. Basil the Great: The difference between the proud man and the scoffer is in the outward form alone. The one is engaged in insulting others, the other in presumptuously praising himself.

St. John Chrysostom: He who slanders others does much harm both to himself and to them. First, those who hear him are made worse; for if they are sinners, they rejoice in finding someone as guilty as they are, and if they are righteous, they are puffed up, being led by the sins of others to think more highly of themselves. Second, the body of the Church suffers, because those who hear him are not all content to blame only the guilty, but also attach the reproach to the Christian religion itself.

Third, the glory of God is spoken of evil, for just as our good deeds cause the name of God to be glorified, so our sins cause it to be blasphemed. Fourth, the one being reproached is shamed and becomes more reckless and hardened. Fifth, the one who speaks is himself made liable to punishment for saying things that are improper.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It is right for us not only to shun evil but also to do good. And so after saying, I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, he adds something by way of contrast: I fast twice in the week. They called the week “the Sabbath,” from its last day of rest. The Pharisees fasted on the second and fifth days. He therefore set fasting against the passion of adultery, for lust is born of luxury. Against the extortioners and usurers he opposed the payment of tithes, as it follows, I give tithes of all that I possess. It is as if to say, “I am so far from extortion or causing injury that I even give up what is my own.”

St. Gregory the Great: So it was pride that exposed the citadel of his heart to his cunning enemies, which prayer and fasting had kept closed, but in vain. All other fortifications are useless as long as there is one place that the enemy has left defenseless.

St. Augustine of Hippo: If you look into his words, you will find that he asked nothing of God. He goes up to pray, but instead of asking God, he praises himself and even insults the one who was asking. The publican, on the other hand, driven far off by his stricken conscience, is brought near by his piety.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Although reported to have stood, the publican still differed from the Pharisee in his manner and his words, as well as in having a contrite heart. For he feared to lift up his eyes to heaven, thinking those eyes that had loved to gaze upon and wander after earthly things were unworthy of the heavenly vision. He also struck his breast, striking it, as it were, because of his evil thoughts, and also rousing it as if it were asleep. And so he sought only that God would be reconciled to him, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner.

St. John Chrysostom: He heard the words, that I am not as this publican. He was not angry, but convicted in his heart. The one uncovered the wound; the other sought its remedy. Let no one, then, ever offer such a cold excuse as, “I dare not, I am ashamed, I cannot open my mouth.” The demons have that kind of fear. The devil desires to close against you every door of access to God.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Why then do you wonder whether God pardons, since the man himself acknowledges his sin? The publican stood far off, yet he drew near to God. And the Lord was near to him and heard him, for the LORD is on high, yet He has regard for the lowly. He did not so much as lift his eyes to heaven; he did not look up, so that he might be looked upon. Conscience weighed him down; hope raised him up. He struck his own breast; he passed judgment on himself. Therefore the Lord spared the penitent one. You have heard the accusation of the proud man; you have heard the humble confession of the accused. Now hear the sentence of the Judge: Truly I say to you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.

St. John Chrysostom: This parable presents to us two chariots on a race course, each with two charioteers. In one chariot, it places righteousness with pride; in the other, sin with humility. You see the chariot of sin outstrip that of righteousness, not by its own strength but by the excellence of the humility combined with it. The other is defeated not by a lack of righteousness, but by the weight and swelling of pride. For as humility by its own resilience rises above the weight of sin and, leaping up, reaches God, so pride by its great weight easily pulls righteousness down.

Therefore, even if you are earnest and constant in doing good, if you think you may boast, you are completely devoid of the fruits of prayer. But you who bear a thousand loads of guilt on your conscience, if you only think of yourself as the lowest of all people, will gain much confidence before God.

And then He goes on to give the reason for His sentence: For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

The word “humility” has various meanings. There is the humility of virtue, as in, A humble and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. There is also a humility that arises from sorrows, as in, He has humbled my life upon the earth. And there is a false humility derived from sin and the insatiable desire for riches. For can anything be more low and debased than those who grovel in riches and power and consider them great things?

St. Basil the Great: In a similar way, it is possible to be honorably elated when your thoughts are not lowly, but your mind is lifted up toward virtue by greatness of soul. This loftiness of mind is seen in cheerfulness amidst sorrow, a kind of noble fearlessness in trouble, a contempt for earthly things, and a life lived as if in heaven. This loftiness of mind seems to differ from the elevation produced by pride, just as the healthiness of a well-conditioned body differs from the swelling of the flesh that comes from dropsy.

St. John Chrysostom: This inflation of pride can cast down even from heaven the person who does not take warning, but humility can raise a person up from the lowest depth of guilt. The one (humility) saved the publican before the Pharisee and brought the thief into Paradise before the Apostles; the other (pride) caused the fall even of spiritual powers. But if humility added to sin has made such rapid advances as to surpass pride united to righteousness, how much swifter will its course be when you add righteousness to it? It will stand by the judgment-seat of God in the midst of the angels with great boldness.

Moreover, if pride joined to righteousness had the power to pull it down, to what a hell will it thrust people when it is added to sin? I do not say this so that we should neglect righteousness, but so that we should avoid pride.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But should anyone perhaps wonder that the Pharisee is condemned for uttering a few words in his own praise, while Job, though he poured forth many such words, is crowned, I answer that the Pharisee spoke these words while groundlessly accusing others. Job, however, was compelled by an urgent necessity to list his own virtues for the glory of God, so that people might not fall away from the path of virtue.

The Venerable Bede: Typologically, the Pharisee represents the Jewish people, who boast of their adornments because of the righteousness of the law. The publican represents the Gentiles, who, being at a distance from God, confess their sins. Of these, the one returned humbled because of his pride, while the other, for his contrition, was considered worthy to draw near and be exalted.