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This is one of your favorite parables. It has wonderful truths. It was spoken by the mouth of the God/Man so of course it is edifying and life-giving.

You are redeemed brothers and sisters of the Lord. As new men and women, “in Chris,” by virtue of your Baptisms, you believe in His revealed truths. As Christians you have been catechized and understand His teachings.

It is a sin to be a Pharisee. You know that. You know that you too are such a hypocrite. It is a trespass to exalt yourself and denigrate your brother. You know that. You accept that you are like the clueless Pharisee who placed his own goodness before God as he prayed.

It is good news that as followers of the Master you have been given the faith to accept hard truths. You are poor, miserable sinners. You are extortioners. You may not blackmail people for money, but you use your influence to get your own way; at the expense of your neighbor. You are unjust. You turn “justice” into vengeance and revenge. You want to be acknowledged as right. You are adulterers. If you haven’t broken the Sixth Commandment in thought or word than you have broken the second table of the law by lusting after mammon. How many times have you said to yourself “thank God I am not like that; like him or her?” We don’t have enough time to contemplate that number.

It is good news indeed that the Holy Ghost has enlightened you. As children of the Father you can now confess “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God Who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That Gospel, that God is faithful and just, is the Gospel of Christ Jesus. That truth that Jesus cleanses you from unrighteousness is the truth of the Parable.

So, insofar as Christ Jesus is in you and you are in Him you are like the Publican in the parable. Your regenerated and sanctified “new man” does indeed bend its knee and bows its head before the Trinity. The saint that you are smites its breast in true repentance.

But even here, a greater Gospel must be given. It is Jesus and only Jesus that abases and humbles Himself so that you might be exalted in faith and imputed righteousness.

Your sinful “old Adam” likes to imagine that you are the Publican in this Parable by way of effort and good intention. You, the sinner, can turn even the Publican into a “works-righteousness.” You sin when you think it’s your prayer, your contrition, your church attendance, your humility, your sorrow, your proper liturgical postures, your smiting and your acknowledgment of “Publicanism” that helps make your right with God.

The simple truth is, that even the Publican was a Pharisee. There is no man that does good, no not one. Only Jesus is Righteous and Good. Only Jesus and His Word can cause the outward actions which the Publican exhibited. Jesus is the true Publican. It is Jesus in the Parable that does all the “doing” all the “believing” and all the abasing that needs to be done.

He Who was perfect and pure took all your pomposity and arrogance onto Himself. He Who was spotless and clean took all your meanness and pettiness onto Himself. He Who was the ultimate in obedience took all of your lawbreaking onto Himself. He became the Publican, the “tax collector,” the despised, the lame, halt, blind, dumb, leper, outcast, and damned…all for you.

All that the Pharisee, and you, thought that he did or do, Christ the Publican did! He veiled His Godhood in flesh and blood and obeyed the Father. And then on the “tree,” Jesus became the extortioner, the unjust, the adulterer, the “You” so that you might be spared and given eternity. Jesus kneeled in humility and service that you might be seated at Table in splendor of Salvation. At Calvary Jesus was smote on the breast, on the head, the cheek, the wrists, the feet, the back, and in the side, that you might never rely on your own atoning or self-justifying actions but rather receive Him as your Righteousness.

The Gospel of the Lord: Jesus allowed Himself to be abased; Jesus humbled Himself to the point of agony and death, that you might be lifted to the Father in exaltation and peace.

And now, you are brought to His house, justified.

In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost