On the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches at All Saints of America Church in Homer, Alaska. He tells the people that we all need to ask God for mercy, we all need to be humble, and we all need to be kind because everyone is sinful and broken as was the Publican. But he warns against the condescending judgmental attitude of the Pharisee, reminding everyone that “we are all recovering humans.” How do we navigate life and return to God? Humility. Humility always wins.
Previous Homilies on the Publican and Pharisee by Fr. Matthew Howell
- February 9, 2025 – Humility vs. Self-Righteousness
- February 25, 2024 – Encourage Instead of Criticize
- February 5, 2023 – Only the Penitent Shall Pass
- February 13, 2022 – No Armchair QBs in the Church
2 Timothy 3:10-15
My son Timothy, you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, persecutions, sufferings, what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra. What persecutions I endured! And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Indeed all who would live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But people who are wicked and deceivers will proceed from worse to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and how from infancy you have known the sacred temple writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Luke 18:10-14
The Lord said this parable, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”