St Luke Chapter XVIII : Verses 9-14
Contents
- Luke xviii. Verses 9-14. Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate)
- Douay-Rheims 1582 text
- Annotations based on the Great Commentary
Luke xviii. Verses 9-14.
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| He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn museum. dd |
Dixit autem et ad quosdam qui in se confidebant tamquam justi, et aspernabantur ceteros, parabolam istam :
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Duo homines ascenderunt in templum ut orarent : unus pharisæus et alter publicanus.
11 The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.
Pharisæus stans, hæc apud se orabat : Deus, gratias ago tibi, quia non sum sicut ceteri hominum : raptores, injusti, adulteri, velut etiam hic publicanus :
12 I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess.
jejuno bis in sabbato, decimas do omnium quae possideo.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
Et publicanus a longe stans, nolebat nec oculos ad cælum levare : sed percutiebat pectus suum, dicens : Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori.
14 I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.
Dico vobis, descendit hic justificatus in domum suam ab illo : quia omnis qui se exaltat, humiliabitur, et qui se humiliat, exaltabitur.
Douay-Rheims : 1582 text
9. And he ſaid also to certaine that truſted in them ſelues as iuſt, and despiſed others, this parable:
10. Two men went vp into the Temple to pray: the one a Phariſee, and the other a Publican.
11. The Phariſee standing, praied thus with him ſelf: God, I giue thee thankes that I am not as the reſt of men, extorcioners, uniuſt, aduouterers, as alſo this Publican.
12. I fast twiſe in a weeke: I giue tithes of al that I poſſeſſe.
13. And the Publican ſtanding a farre off would not ſo much as lift vp his eyes toward Heauen; but he ✟knocked his breaſt, saying: God be merciful to me a ſinner.
14. I ſay to you, this man went downe into his house iuſtified more then he: becauſe euery one that exalteth himself, ſhal be humbled; and he that humbleth himſelf, ſhal be exalted.
Annotations
9. And to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others, he spoke also this parable. Which, however, might truly happen, nay often has happened, so that it may be historical. The introduction to the parable shows its scope and the design of its introduction, namely, to rebuke the supremacy of the Pharisees, and their boasting and contempt of other men.
In the former parable Christ taught one condition of prayer—perseverance. In this He teaches another—humility, for the humble prayer is heard by God, the proud one is rejected: The prayer of him that humbleth himself, shall pierce the clouds: Ecclus. xxxv. 21. The Fathers thus connect these words with the preceding verse, that is with faith. S. Augustine (Serm. xxxvi.), on the words of the Lord that faith is not of the proud but of the humble, says, “Christ subjoins a parable on humility as opposed to pride:” Theophylact, “Because pride more than other feelings vexes the minds of men, He very frequently speaks of it:” The Gloss, “That no one, from what has been said, may flatter himself on his knowledge, or his confession of faith,” Christ shows that our works, and not our professions, will be judged by God, and amongst these He chiefly notes humility.
10. Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The one a Pharisee, with the pharisaical pride, puffed up and haughty. The other a publican, that is a sinner, and deprecating pardon. Publicans were held infamous by the Jews, nay, were termed Parisim—that is, public robbers, for, as Suidas says, from Jamblichus, “The life of a publican was one of open violence, on account of their exactions and unjust tribute, their unpunished robberies, their unprincipled conduct in business, and their unblushing usury. See Endnote.
11. The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.. The Jews prayed partly kneeling and partly standing, when their prayer was longer than usual—sacrifice or psalmody. For in the temple there was no place to sit, except for the High Priest and king alone, as I have showed on Ezek. xlvi. 2. The word “standing” is added here to show the pride of the Pharisee; he raised his head to heaven as if to dispute with God, or to claim and exact the measure of his merits. “For a humble man,” as Theophylact says, “is humble of aspect, but this Pharisee is seen to be proud both by his habit and bearing.” The Arabic reads, “The Pharisee stood praying.” The Pharisee, therefore, stood proudly: 1. As being secure and confident in his own merits, and as calling God to judgment. 2. He stood first, or among the first, near the altar. 3. He stood with his neck and face erect and fixed on heaven, as if heaven were his debtor. The publican, however, stood 1. Trembling and fearful, confessing his sins. 2. Afar off, at a distance from the altar, the last, or among the last. 3. With his face cast down towards the ground, not venturing to look up to heaven, showing his fear and penitence by the place in which he stood and by his appearance. Hence Bede says, allegorically, “The Pharisee is the people of the Jews, exalting their merits by the righteousness of the law. The publican is the Gentile confessing his sin apud se.” The apud se of the Pharisee is referred in the Syriac to “standing,” standing apud se—relying on himself, trusting to himself, insisting on his own merits and dwelling on them. The Syriac reads “serveto.” Our version more rightly connects the apud se with “orabat.” He prayed with himself in his soul and mind, for the pride in his heart so puffed him up, that he would not pray or speak but with himself—he did not deign to do so before others. He prayed like the Pharisees outwardly, in a grave inflated pompous tone. Hence S. Basil on Isaiah ii. says, “He prayed apud se not apud Deum—for he acted like himself when he fell into the sin of pride.”
prayed thus with himself—In his own way, for he did not pray to God, but he praised himself. S. Augustine (serm. xxxvi.) on the words of the Lord according to S. Luke: “What did he ask of God? Seek from his own words. We find nothing. He went up to pray; he would not ask of God, but preferred to please himself, and heap insults on the devout publican as well.”
O God, I give thee thanks. “He is not blamed,” said S. Augustine (serm. xxxvi.), “because he gave thanks, but because he wished for nothing to be given to him. Whoever says ‘I justify myself,’ is worse than the Pharisee who proudly called himself righteous, but who also gave thanks to God.”
“He gave God thanks,” says S. Bernard (de Grad. Humil.), “not because he was good, but because he was alone: and not so much for the good which he had himself, as for the evil which he saw in others. He had not cast out the beam from his own eye, and he recounts the motes in his brothers’ eyes. For he says ‘unjust’—‘extortioners.’ ”
I am not as the rest of men. He should at least have said “as many others,” for what does “other” mean, but all men except himself? “I,” he said, “am righteous, the rest are sinners;” that is, I alone am righteous, all the rest are wicked. The proud man, to exalt himself the more, especially despises and depreciates others.
S. Gregory (lib. xxiii. Moral. c. 7) describes four species of pride in this Pharisee. The first is, when men think that they have good, e.g., virtue a se. The second, when they ascribe this to their own merits. The third, when they think that they have that which they have not. The fourth, when they wish to be singular, and therefore despise and speak evil of others. The three last of these are clearly shown in the proud and false righteousness of this Pharisee. The first appeared in him because he ascribed his righteousness, not to God but to his own works, and said of God, with the Pagan, “Let God give me strength, let Him give me wealth, I will order my mind myself.” “If, in fine,” says Theophylact, “he had believed that it was the gift of God that he had graces not his own (aliena), he would not have held other men in contempt, remembering that even he himself was naked as far as regards his own virtue.”
Even as this publican.—“See,” says an Interlineator on S. Augustine, “how the vicinity of this publican was the occasion of greater pride to the Pharisee.” The Syriac has, “Nor as this publican,” supply, “am I a public sinner.” Of his pride, he judges rashly and falsely that the publican was wicked, when in truth he was a penitent and justified. The Pharisee sinned therefore, 1. In judging rashly; 2. In despising the publican; 3. In reviling and insulting him, for he casts up to the publican his sins. S. Chrysostom in the Catena: “All human nature did not satisfy his contempt, but he attacked this publican. Whoever reproaches others, commits many offences. 1. He makes the other worse, for if he is a sinner he who is rebuked rejoices to find a partner in his wickedness; if righteous, he thinks highly of himself. 2. He harms the Church; for his hearers revile it. 3. He causes God to be blasphemed. 4. He makes the other more shameless, and engenders hate towards his rebuker. 5. He renders himself obnoxious to punishment.
S. Bernard (de Gradib. Humil.): “The Pharisee, while rejoicing in himself, insults other men beyond measure. David does otherwise. He says, ‘I said in my excess: Every man is a liar’ (Ps. cxv. 11.) He excepted no one, lest he should deceive him; for he knew that all have sinned, and have need of the glory of God. The Pharisee deceived himself alone, when he excepted himself from the common reproach, lest he should be excepted from mercy. The Pharisee makes light of mercy while he dissembles his misery. The Prophet says, as well of himself as of all others, ‘All men are liars.’ The Pharisee admits it of all men but himself. ‘I am not,’ he said, ‘as other men.’ ”
12. I fast twice in a week. In Sabbato. This is by synecdoche, the chief day of the week being put for the whole week, which is called sabbatum. Hence the Arabic, “I fast two days in every week.” Theophylact says that “the Pharisees fasted on the second and fifth days;” but he gives no authority for it.
I give tithes of all that I possess. Not only of the first-fruits which the law compels, but, for my desire for a higher and a willing service, I give tithes of all things whatever, as flesh eggs, fish, to which I am not bound. This Pharisee had branded other men as if they were adulterers and unjust, while he himself alone was pure and just. He would prove himself pure by his fasts, which are the mother of purity, and to be just by his giving tithes of everything. “As regards impurity,” says Theophylact, “he makes boast of his fasting, for from luxury comes wantonness. Against usury and injustice he brings forward his giving tithes of every thing that he possessed. ‘So far am I,’ he said, ‘from usury and unfair dealing, that I put aside what is my own.’ ” So S. Ephrem, in Catena.
Morally. S. Gregory here observes (Homily vii. on Ezekiel): “The Pharisee, who published his fasts and gave tithes, thanked God, as if his guardianship were on the watch throughout the circuit of his whole city; but because he had not noticed one opening, that of pride in himself, there the enemy took possession of him. While therefore he was silent on what he ought to have declared, he unhappily spoke of that on which he should have held his peace; and through his pride, his merits, if he had any, were diminished, for while he held humility in contempt, he augumented his sins.”
13. And the publican, standing afar off. The publican did not resent the insult offered by the Pharisee, nay, he admitted it, confessed it, and sought pardon for it with patience. He was therefore justified before the Pharisee. S. Chrysostom, in his Homily on David and Saul, says, “The publican accepted the disgrace and washed it out. He acknowledged his sins, and laid them down. This accusation was to be his remission, and his enemy was changed involuntarily into his benefactor. How many labours ought that publican to have undergone, fasting, sleeping on the ground, watching, bestowing his goods on the poor, sitting long in sackcloth and ashes, that so he might lay aside his sins? But when he did none of these things, by a mere word he was rid of all his sin; and the insults and reproaches of the Pharisee, which seemed to overwhelm him with contumely, bought him a crown of righteousness, and that without toil, without labour, and without long delay.”
standing afar off. Afar from the altar and the holy place, for he thought himself unworthy of these from his sins. He was not so very far off though, but the Pharisee was able to point to him, and he to hear the Pharisee.
would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven. He dared not, from modesty, humility, and reverence. He would not so much as lift his eyes, as if thinking himself unworthy to look to that heaven which was the abode of the glorious God, who was offended at sins. Wherefore with eyes cast down to the ground, he humbled himself. So S. Cyril in the Catena.
S. Theophylact gives the cause of his thinking himself unworthy of the heavenly vision; and S. Augustine: “That he might be looked upon by God, he looked not upon himself. He dared not look up. Conscience weighed him down. Hope lifted him up. Again he showed by his posture that he had sinned against the Heavenly Host, that is against the Angels whose inspirations he had resisted; against the Saints, whose prayers he had made of no avail; against God Himself, whose commandments he had broken.”
but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.. His breast, in which was his heart, that is his will, which is its own cause and origin of all sins. “He struck and beat it,” says Euthymius, “as if to exact punishment from it: and to show that because of it he was worthy himself of stripes.” The beating of the breast is a sign of penitence and a contrite heart. Hence this was formerly the act of one who confessed and was penitent, and it is so still. To beat the offending breast is both an ancient and modern custom of Christians. S. Augustine in his 8th Sermon “On the Words of the Lord according to S. Matt.,” says, “At this ‘Confiteor’ you beat your breasts. What is this but to confess what is lying hid in them, and by a visible blow to chastise an invisible sin? Why do you do this, but that you hear ‘Confiteor tibi Pater.’ Therefore our accusation of ourselves in our confession is the praising of God. For we confess ourselves to be sinners, but God to be without sin, holy and good. We therefore ask pardon of Him. The Pharisee, from his proud and unreal prayer, was the more defiled with sin. The publican was more righteous than the Pharisee, not directly and simply, but indirectly and negatively; for indeed he was righteous, but the Pharisee was unrighteous, and he returned to his house even more so than he came out.” “For,” says Euthymius, “he who so condemned himself was justified by God;” and S. Paulinus (Eph. lviii.), “What righteousness built up, that pride pulled down. The publican, from a contrite heart, was accepted as an accuser of himself, and obtained pardon from his confession of sins, from the degree of his humility; that holy Pharisee (holy as the Jews are holy) bearing away the pack-load of his sins from his boast of holiness.” S. Bernard (serm iii. de Annune): “The Pharisee returned empty because he pretended to be full. The publican, who emptied himself, and took pains to show that he was an empty vessel, carried away the greater grace.”
“Humility,” says S. Chrysostom, “brought the thief into Paradise before the Apostles. But if humility has such power when close upon the offence, what can it not do when united to righteousness? And if pride, united to righteousness, can depress, what will it do when united to sin?” “Better are sins with humility than innocence with pride,” says Optatus. (Cont. Donat. B. ii.)
Publicans
[From The Scripture Commentary series by Madame Cecilia (1906), p271]
The Publicans were men who farmed the revenues for the Romans. They were of two classes. The Publicani proper, who were generally wealthy Romans, belonged to the Equestrian order. These men formed a kind of joint-stock company, and they farmed the taxes directly for the government, to which they paid a given sum, and endeavoured to make as much as possible out of the provinces they farmed. These Publicans divided the provinces into different districts, and employed agents to do the actual work of collecting. These agents were called “ portitores ” ; they purchased from the Roman knights the right to collect the taxes by giving them a certain sum which was supposed to be about the value of the assessment. In their turn, they naturally endeavoured to get a good interest on the money they had advanced, which was often an exorbitant sum, since the office was sold by auction. Hence they were universally detested by the Jews, because they enriched themselves at the expense of their brethren by most unjust loans. Their rapacity in collecting the taxes was equalled by their insolence, and they caused great delay and vexation by continually stopping travellers and obliging them to unpack their goods. The Jews refused to marry into a family of which any member was a Publican, and they had a proverb which ran thus : “ Bears and lions are the fiercest wild beasts in the forests, but publicans and informers are the worst in the cities.” No Publican was admitted as witness in a court of justice, and no true Jew might ask or accept alms from a Publican. They were numbered with harlots, sinners, robbers and murderers. In the time of Cæsar the taxes were collected by government officials ; this was certainly an amelioration for the people, but the tax gathercrs were as much disliked as ever, since they held office directly under the Romans. Matthew, or Levi, was a Publican before he became an Apostle.
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SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.
The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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