Homily 673 – 34 APE
Holy Transfiguration, Ames, Iowa
February 1, 2026
Epistle:  (296) 2 Timothy 3:10-15
Gospel:  (89) Luke 18:10-14

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for me not to comment on events around us and the environment in which we live.  But I recognize that any comment I would make would be somewhat divisive, with some cheering and some anger, regardless of what I said.

I’ve struggled with how to deal with this, over the past years, and that struggle has only intensified.  The conclusion I’ve come to is that the only correct path is to reinforce certain key aspects of Christianity, and the lives we live as a result, and let you determine how you want to receive the information.

My intention is not to bolster any particular viewpoint or political position.  Only to speak to what God asks of us.  And this Sunday, the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, seems to be a reasonable place to begin.

St. John Chrysostom reminds us that we cannot in good conscience condemn the Pharisee, even as we struggle not to emulate him.  We can and should emulate the virtues of the Pharisee.  For only in those virtues can we find progress.

What we must hear in this passage is that it is the combination of the two that sets out the ideal – first, practicing virtue, but also recognizing that the humility of the Publican understands that we cannot stand on our virtue, that we cannot certainly brag about our virtue.

That is why St. Basil, who devoted his entire life to the loving service of others wrote, “Even if we were somehow able to do absolutely everything that is required of us., we would still have to conclude that we are unworthy servants of the Lord. And this is because after having done all this, we will only have fulfilled our basic duty and obligation and nothing more.”

What we see in the publican is that we are to be humble, recognizing that what we deserve, and what God gives us, are two different things.

Now, how can we do this?  What are the concrete steps we must take as Christians to be more like the virtuous aspects of both the publican and the Pharisee?

First, and perhaps most important, is the commandment of Christ that we deny our self.  This has a bit of a complicated meaning – it isn’t “deprive” ourselves.  It is “deny” ourselves.  We have to take our ego out of it.

In other words, we don’t seek power, we don’t seek praise, and we certainly don’t seek to control anyone other than ourselves.  We allow others the same grace that God allows us.  The grace to accept or reject God’s commandments.

Perhaps too often we focus on how others behave.  We want them to behave in a particular way, and we believe that what we desire is what God desires of them.

But first, God desires that behavior of us.  We must – must – first modify our own behavior.  In fact, that is the only behavior we should even seek to modify.  We cannot worry about what others do or don’t do.

We not only need to not seek power, but truly, to the extent we can, reject it.  And if we can’t reject it, use it to benefit others and not ourselves.

This is what Christ did.  He certainly didn’t come to us incarnate to seek and obtain power.  That was one of the temptations that Satan threw at Christ.  Recall that Satan took Christ to a mountaintop and showed Him all the nations and powers of the world, and told Christ they would be His, if He worshiped Satan, rejecting the Father.

Christ responded with a statement – “It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”

Brothers and sisters, that should be our answer too.  When we as Christians are tempted by power and influence, remind yourself, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.

This is the definition of repentance.  Repentance is reminding ourselves, from moment to moment, that God deserves our entire being, our thoughts, our efforts, everything we are.

As we begin to prepare for Great Lent, perhaps it is also a good time to recall the meaning of some of these things.  Sin, for example.  Sin isn’t disobedience.  Sin isn’t our activities or actions.  Sin is separation from God.  Regardless of the cause, whether it is separation because we are fallen, or separation because we choose to be separate.

Repentance is reunification with God.  It is a change in our course, a change in our direction.  Instead of self, we focus on Him – on Christ, who is our perfection.  Focusing on Christ leads us a step further, it is focusing on those Christ told us are Him.

The poor.  The naked.  The homeless.  The hungry.  Anyone in need.  Anyone that we can help.  Those are Christ for us.  When we focus on them – that is to say, when we focus on their well-being, we focus on Christ Himself.

Standing before God, telling Him how sorry we are and how much we regret our actions, that is expressly not repentance.  Repentance is doing something.  It isn’t a feeling nor tears nor anything except change.  Sorrow is contrition, not repentance.  Contrition may lead us to repentance, but isn’t a substitute.

Also, our ascetical practices are not repentance, nor are they sin if we don’t do them.  If we don’t pray, or fast, or give alms, we are not sinning.  We aren’t even transgressing anything.

We are refusing the exercise that makes us stronger.  We are refusing the exercise that makes it easier for us to deny ourselves.  It is going to the gym and refusing to use the equipment put there for our well-being.

When we come to confession we want to use the Law of God, the way we treat others, and the way Christ behaved as a mirror, enabling us to see ourselves as we truly are.  The Law of God doesn’t reveal anything about others.  It only shows us ourself.

That is what we bring to confession.  The things that we see in ourselves that differ from what Christ shows us.  Yes, we can talk about fasting and prayer rules and giving.  In that way the priest becomes your doctor and personal trainer – giving you activity that is beneficial, without being so much as to cause injury.

In that practice, we find our Christianity, and we find joy, and we find peace.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God.  Glory to Jesus Christ!