Τελώνου καὶ Φαρισαίου

Anthony Bloom (Metropolitan of Sourozh (1914- 2003))

Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος

Πόσο μικρὴ καὶ γνωστὴ εἶναι ἡ σημερινὴ παραβολὴ καὶ πόσο δυνατὸ καὶ προκλητικὸ εἶναι τὸ μήνυμά της.

Εἶναι δυνατὸ καὶ φαίνεται μέσα ἀπὸ τὰ ἴδια τὰ λόγια τοῦ κειμένου. Δύο ἄνδρες ἦλθαν στὴν ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ, σ’ ἕναν χῶρο ἱερό, στὸ Βασίλειό Του, ποὺ σ’ ἕναν κόσμο ποὺ χάνεται μέσα στὴν παρουσία τοῦ Θεοῦ, Τοῦ ἀνήκει ἀνεπιφύλακτα. Καὶ ἕνας ἀπὸ τοὺς ἄνδρες περπατᾶ ὑπερήφανα πρὸς τὸν ναὸ καὶ παίρνει θέση μπροστὰ στὸν Θεό. Ὁ ἄλλος ἔρχεται καὶ οὔτε κἄν τολμᾶ νὰ διασχίσει τὸ κατώφλι τοῦ ναοῦ: εἶναι ἁμαρτωλὸς καὶ ὁ χῶρος εἶναι ἱερός, ὅπως ὁ χῶρος γύρω ἀπὸ τὴν Φλεγόμενη Βάτο στὴν ἔρημο ὅπου ὁ Μωυσῆς δὲν μποροῦσε νὰ εἰσέλθει χωρὶς νὰ λύσει τὰ ὑποδήματά του, παρὰ μόνο μὲ λατρεία καὶ φόβο Θεοῦ.

Καὶ πόσο διαφορετικὰ εἶναι τὰ λόγια ποὺ εἰπώθηκαν! Προφανῶς ὁ Φαρισαῖος προσεύχεται στὸν Θεό, Τὸν δοξάζει - ἀλλὰ γιὰ ποιὸ λόγο; Ἐπειδὴ εἶχε δημιουργήσει ἕνα ἄνθρωπο σὰν αὐτόν, ἕναν ἄνθρωπο τόσο ἅγιο, τόσο ἄξιο γιὰ τὸν Θεὸ· ἕναν ἄνθρωπο ποὺ ὄχι μόνο δὲν τηρεῖ ὅλες τὶς ἐντολὲς τοῦ Νόμου, ἀλλὰ πηγαίνει πέρα ἀπὸ ὅ,τι ἔχει προστάξει ὁ ἴδιος ὁ Θεὸς καὶ περιμένει ἀπὸ τὸν ἄνθρωπο. Πραγματικὰ στέκεται ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ δοξολογώντας Τον, ποὺ αὐτός, εἶναι τόσο ὑπέροχος ποὺ εἶναι δόξα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ ἀποκάλυψη τῆς ἁγιότητάς Του.

Ὁ Τελώνης δὲν τολμᾶ κἄν νὰ εἰσέλθει στὸν ἱερὸ τόπο τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Καὶ ἡ παραβολὴ εἶναι ξεκάθαρη: ὁ ἄνδρας ποὺ ἦλθε καὶ στάθηκε μὲ συντετριμμένη καρδιά, μὲ ντροπὴ γιὰ τὸν ἑαυτό του, γνωρίζοντας ὅτι εἶναι ἀνάξιος νὰ εἰσέλθει στὸν ναό, ἐπιστρέφει σπίτι του συγχωρεμένος, μὲ τὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ: συντροφευμένος ἀπὸ τὸν ἴδιο τὸν Θεὸ ποὺ ἦρθε στὸν κόσμο νὰ σώσει τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ ποὺ παραστέκεται σ’ ὅποιον Τὸν χρειάζεται καὶ ἀναγνωρίζει τὴν ἀνάγκη του γιὰ σωτηρία.

Ὁ Φαρισαῖος πηγαίνει σπίτι του, ἀλλὰ ἔχει συγχωρεθεῖ λιγότερο· ἡ σχέση του μὲ τὸν Θεὸ δὲν εἶναι ἡ ἴδια· στὴ σχέση αὐτὴ αὐτὸς βρίσκεται στὸ κέντρο, ὁ Θεὸς στὴν περιφέρεια· ἐκεῖνος βρίσκεται στὸ κέντρο τῶν πραγμάτων, ὁ Θεὸς εἶναι ὑποχείριό Του. Τοῦτο δὲν σημαίνει ὅτι ὅ,τι ἔκανε ἦταν χωρὶς ἀξία· ἁπλῶς σημαίνει ὅτι ὅσο τὸν ἀφορᾶ, δὲν ὑπῆρξε σ’ ἐκεῖνον καρπὸς ἁγιότητας. Οἱ πράξεις του ἦταν καλὲς ἀλλὰ ἦταν ἀλλοιωμένες, δηλητηριασμένες ἀπὸ τὴν ὑπερηφάνεια· ἡ ὀμορφιὰ σ’ ὅ,τι ἔκανε εἶχε ἐντελῶς ἀμαυρωθεῖ ἐπειδὴ δὲν ἀπευθυνόταν οὔτε στὸν Θεό, οὔτε στὸν πλησίον του· στρεφόταν στὸν ἑαυτό του. Καὶ λέγεται ὅτι αὐτὴ ἡ ὑπερηφάνεια ἀπογύμνωσε αὐτὸν τὸν ἄνθρωπο, τοῦ ἀφαίρεσε τοὺς καρποὺς τῶν καλῶν του ἔργων, τὸν καρπὸ τῆς ἐξωτερικῆς πίστης του στὸν νόμο τοῦ Θεοῦ, ποὺ μόνο ἡ ταπείνωση θὰ μποροῦσε νὰ προσφέρει στὶς πράξεις του νόημα, ποὺ μόνο ἡ ταπείνωση θὰ μεταμόρφωνε σὲ ζωὴ τὶς πράξεις του, στὸ νερὸ τῆς ζωῆς ποὺ ἀναβλύζει ἀπὸ τὴν αἰωνιότητα.

Ὅμως μία ἐρώτηση στέκει μπροστά μας: πῶς μποροῦμε νὰ μάθουμε κάτι γιὰ τὴν ταπείνωση ἐὰν εἶναι ἀπολύτως ἀπαραίτητη προϋπόθεση νὰ μὴν εἴμαστε ὅπως ἡ ἄκαρπη συκιά, ἀλλὰ γόνιμοι, νὰ γίνουμε ἡ πλούσια σοδειὰ ποὺ θὰ τρέφει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους;

Δὲν πιστεύω ὅτι μποροῦμε νὰ κινηθοῦμε πρὸς τὴν ταπείνωση ἀπὸ ὑπερηφάνεια, ἀπὸ ματαιότητα, ἐκτὸς ἐὰν μᾶς συμβεῖ κάτι τόσο τραγικὸ ποὺ νὰ δοῦμε, ν’ ἀνακαλύψουμε τοὺς ἑαυτούς μας νὰ εἶναι ἐντελῶς στερημένοι ἀπὸ τὸ κάθε τι ποὺ στήριζε τὴν ἁμαρτωλή, καταστροφική, ἄκαρπη κατάστασή μας. Ὑπάρχει ὅμως ἕνα πράγμα ποὺ μποροῦμε νὰ κάνουμε: ὅσο πιστεύουμε ὅτι κατέχουμε κάθε εἴδους χάρισμα τῆς καρδιᾶς, τοῦ νοῦ, τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅσο καρποφόρα μπορεῖ νὰ εἶναι τὰ ἔργα μας, μποροῦμε νὰ θυμηθοῦμε τὰ λόγια τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Παύλου: Ὦ ἄνθρωπε, τί ἔχεις ποὺ δὲν σοῦ ἔχει δοθεῖ;!...Καὶ πράγματι, ἠχοῦν σὰν ἀντίλαλος στ’ αὐτιά μας τὰ λόγια τοῦ Κυρίου στὸν πρῶτο Μακαρισμό, στὸν Μακαρισμὸ ποὺ ἀνοίγει τὴν πόρτα σὲ ὅλους τοὺς ἄλλους : «Εὐλογημένοι εἶναι οἱ πτωχοὶ στὸ πνεῦμα… Εὐλογημένοι εἶναι ἐκεῖνοι ποὺ γνωρίζουν ὄχι μόνο μὲ τὴ λογικὴ - ἀλλὰ τουλάχιστον μὲ τὴ λογική!- ὅτι εἶναι ἕνα τίποτα, ὅτι δὲν κατέχουν τίποτα ποὺ δὲν εἶναι δῶρο τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Ὁ Θεὸς μᾶς κάλεσε νὰ ὑπάρξουμε ἀπὸ τὸ μηδέν, δίχως τὴ συμμετοχή μας: ἡ ὕπαρξή μας εἶναι ἕνα δῶρο! Μᾶς δόθηκε ζωὴ ποὺ δὲν μπορούσαμε νὰ δημιουργήσουμε. Μᾶς δόθηκε ἡ γνώση τῆς ὕπαρξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ πράγματι μᾶς δόθηκε μία βαθύτερη, πιὸ οἰκεία γνώση τοῦ Θεοῦ- ὅλα αὐτὰ εἶναι ἕνα δῶρο! Καὶ τότε, αὐτὸ ποὺ εἴμαστε εἶναι ἕνα δῶρο τοῦ Θεοῦ: τὸ σῶμα, ἡ καρδιά, ὁ νοῦς, ἡ ψυχὴ μας - ποιὰ δύναμη ἔχουμε σ’ αὐτὰ τὰ δῶρα ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς δὲν τὰ στηρίζει..; Ἡ μεγαλύτερη εὐφυία μπορεῖ ξαφνικὰ ἀπὸ ἕνα ἐγκεφαλικὸ ἐπεισόδιο νὰ χαθεῖ στὸ σκοτάδι· ὑπάρχουν στιγμὲς ποὺ ἀντιμετωπίζουμε μία ἀνάγκη ποὺ χρειάζεται ὅλη μας τὴ συμπάθεια, τὴν ἀγάπη - καὶ ἀνακαλύπτουμε ὅτι ἡ καρδιὰ μας εἶναι καμωμένη ἀπὸ πέτρα καὶ πάγο… Καὶ θέλουμε νὰ κάνουμε τὸ καλὸ - καὶ δὲν μποροῦμε καὶ ἤδη ὁ Ἀπόστολος Παῦλος τὸ γνώριζε ὅταν εἶπε: Δὲν κάνω αὐτὸ ποὺ ἀγαπῶ, καὶ πράττω συνεχῶς τὸ κακὸ ποὺ μισῶ… Καὶ τὸ σῶμα μας ἐξαρτᾶται ἀπὸ τόσα πολλὰ πράγματα!

Καὶ τί νὰ πεῖ κανεὶς γιὰ τὴν φιλία ποὺ μᾶς προσφέρεται, τὶς σχέσεις μας, τὴν ἀγάπη ποὺ μᾶς στηρίζει, τὴν συντροφικότητα· ὅ,τι εἴμαστε καὶ ὅ,τι ἔχουμε εἶναι ἕνα δῶρο: καὶ ποιὸ εἶναι τὸ ἑπόμενο βῆμα: δὲν εἶναι ἡ εὐγνωμοσύνη; Δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ στραφοῦμε στὸν Θεό, ὄχι σὰν τὸν φαρισαῖο, μὲ ὑπερηφάνεια γι’ αὐτὸ ποὺ εἴμαστε, ξεχνώντας ὅτι ὅλα αὐτὰ εἶναι δικά Του, ἀλλὰ νὰ στραφοῦμε στὸν Θεὸ καὶ νὰ Τοῦ ποῦμε: Θεέ μου, ὅλα αὐτὰ εἶναι δικό σου δῶρο! Ὅλη αὐτὴ ἡ ὀμορφιά, ἡ ἐξυπνάδα, ἡ εὐαίσθητη καρδιά, ὅλες ἐκεῖνες οἱ καταστάσεις τῆς ζωῆς εἶναι ἕνα δῶρο! Πράγματι ὅλες αὐτὲς οἱ καταστάσεις, ἀκόμα κι ἐκεῖνες ποὺ μᾶς φοβίζουν εἶναι ἕνα δῶρο ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς μᾶς λέει: Σᾶς ἐμπιστεύομαι ἀρκετὰ γιὰ νὰ σᾶς στείλω νὰ φέρετε τὸ φῶς στὸ σκοτάδι! Σᾶς στέλνω ἐκεῖ ποὺ ὑπάρχει ἀποσύνθεση νὰ γίνεται τὸ ἁλάτι ποὺ θὰ τὴν σταματήσει! Σᾶς στέλνω ἐκεῖ ποὺ δὲν ὑπάρχει ἐλπίδα νὰ φέρετε τὴν ἐλπίδα, νὰ φέρετε τὴν χαρά, νὰ φέρετε τὴν ἀγάπη ἐκεῖ ποὺ δὲν ὑπάρχει καὶ ὅτι μᾶς στέλνει ὁ Θεὸς στὸ σκοτάδι, γιὰ νὰ γίνουμε ἡ παρουσία καὶ ἡ ζωή Του, αὐτὸ σημαίνει ὅτι μᾶς ἐμπιστεύεται- μᾶς ἐμπιστεύεται, μᾶς πιστεύει, ἐλπίζει τὰ πάντα σέ μᾶς: δὲν ἀρκεῖ αὐτὸ νὰ μᾶς κάνει εὐγνώμονες;

Ἀλλὰ ἡ εὐγνωμοσύνη δὲν εἶναι ἁπλὰ μιὰ παγωμένη λέξη εὐχαριστίας· εὐγνωμοσύνη σημαίνει ὅτι ἐπιθυμοῦμε νὰ Τὸν κάνουμε νὰ δεῖ ὅτι ὅλα αὐτὰ δὲν μᾶς δόθηκαν μάταια, ὅτι δὲν ἔγινε μάταια ἄνθρωπος, δὲν ἔζησε, δὲν πέθανε μάταια· εὐγνωμοσύνη σημαίνει μιὰ ζωὴ ποὺ θὰ ἔδινε χαρὰ στὸν Θεό: αὐτὴ εἶναι ἡ πρόκληση αὐτῆς τῆς ἰδιαίτερης παραβολῆς.

Ναί, τὸ ἰδανικὸ γιὰ μᾶς θὰ ἦταν νὰ εἴμαστε ταπεινοὶ- ἀλλὰ τί εἶναι ταπείνωση; Ποιὸς ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς γνωρίζει, καὶ ἐὰν κάποιος γνωρίζει, ποιὸς μπορεῖ νὰ τὸ μεταφέρει στὸν καθένα ποὺ δὲν γνωρίζει; Ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνη τὴν γνωρίζουμε ὅλοι· ὅλοι γνωρίζουμε μικρὲς πτυχὲς καὶ τρόπους γιὰ νὰ τὴν ἐκφράσουμε. Ἂς τὸ συλλογιστοῦμε αὐτό, καί, ἂς ἀναγνωρίσουμε, μὲ μία πράξη εὐγνωμοσύνης ὅτι δὲν ἔχουμε τὸ δικαίωμα νὰ βρισκόμαστε στὸν ἱερὸ τόπο τοῦ Θεοῦ- καὶ Ἐκεῖνος μᾶς ἐπιτρέπει νὰ βρισκόμαστε ἐκεῖ. Δὲν ἔχουμε τὸ δικαίωμα νὰ κοινωνοῦμε μαζί Του εἴτε στὴν προσευχὴ ἢ στὰ μυστήρια- καὶ μᾶς καλεῖ σὲ κοινωνία μαζί Του! Δὲν ἔχουμε δικαίωμα νὰ εἴμαστε παιδιά Του, νὰ εἴμαστε τὰ ἀδέλφια τοῦ Χριστοῦ, νὰ εἴμαστε ἡ κατοικία τοῦ πνεύματος- καὶ μᾶς τὰ δωρίζει ὅλα μέσα ἀπὸ μία πράξη ἀγάπης!

Ἂς συλλογιστεῖ ὁ καθένας μας καὶ ἂς ρωτήσει τὸν ἑαυτό του: μὲ ποιὸ τρόπο μπορεῖ νὰ εἶναι τόσο εὐγνώμων ἔτσι ὥστε ὁ Θεὸς νὰ μποροῦσε νὰ χαρεῖ στὸ γεγονὸς ὅτι δὲν προσφέρθηκε μάταια, δὲν ὑπῆρξε μάταια, δὲν ἔζησε, δὲν πέθανε μάταια, ὅτι ἔχουμε λάβει τὸ μήνυμα τῆς σωτηρίας. Καὶ ἂν ἀναπτυχθεῖ βαθιὰ μέσα μας ἡ ἀληθινὴ εὐγνωμοσύνη θὰ λατρεύσουμε τὸν Θεὸ καὶ θὰ μάθουμε ὅτι ταπείνωση δὲν εἶναι ξεπεσμός, ἀλλὰ λατρεία, ἡ ἐπίγνωση ὅτι Ἐκεῖνος εἶναι ὅ,τι ἔχουμε, ὅ,τι εἴμαστε, καὶ ὅτι εἴμαστε ἀνοιχτοὶ ὅπως ἡ γῆ, ἡ πλούσια γῆ εἶναι ἀνοιχτὴ στὸ ὄργωμα, στὴ σπορά, στὸν σπόρο, στὴ λιακάδα, στὴ βροχή, στὸ κάθε τι προκειμένου νὰ καρποφορήσει. Ἀμήν.


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Πρωτότυπο Κείμενο
 

THE PUBLICAN AND THE PHARISEE
4 February 1990

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

How short, and how well known is today's parable, and yet, how intense its message, how challenging.

Intense it is in its very words. Two men come into the church of God, into a sacred realm which in a world that is lost to God belongs to Him unreservedly, into His Divine Realm. And one of the men walks boldly into it, takes a stand before God. The other one comes, and doesn't even dare cross the threshold: he is a sinner, and the Realm is holy, like the space around the Burning Bush in the desert which Moses could not enter without having unshod his feet, otherwise than in adoration and the fear of God.

And how different the words spoken! Apparently the Pharisee praises God, he gives Him glory - but for what? Because He has made a man like him, a man so holy, so worthy of Him, of God; a man who not only keeps all the commandments of the Law, but goes beyond of what God Himself has commanded and can expect of man. Indeed, he stands before God praising Him, that he, the Pharisee, is so wonderful that he is God's own glory, the shining, the revelation of God’s holiness.

The Publican does not even dare enter into the holy Realm of God.

And the parable is clear: the man who came and stood brokenhearted, ashamed of himself, knowing that he is unworthy of entering this sacred space goes back home forgiven, loved, indeed: accompanied by God Himself Who came into the world to save sinners and Who stands by everyone who needs Him, who recognises his need for salvation.

The Pharisee goes home, but he goes home less forgiven; his relationship with God is not the same; he is at the center, God is peripheric to him; he is at the heart of things, God is subservient to him. It does not mean that what he did was worthless; it simply means that as far as he is concerned, it has born no fruit of holiness in himself. The deeds were good, but they were spoiled, poisoned by pride, by self-assertion; the beauty of what he did was totally marred because it was addressed neither to God nor to his neighbour; it was turned in on himself. And we are told that this pride has despoiled this man, has taken away from him the fruits of his good works, the fruit of his outward faithfulness to the law of God, that only humility could have given him and his action full meaning, that only humility could have made his actions into life, into the waters of life gushing into eternity.

But then, the question stands before us: how can we learn anything about humility if that is the absolute condition to be not like the barren fig tree, but fruitful, to be rich harvest and from whom people can be fed?

I do not think that we can move from pride, vanity into humility in a single unless something so tragic happens to us that we see ourselves, we discover ourselves completely bereft of everything that supported our sinful, destructive, barren condition. But there is one thing which we can do: however much we think that we are possessed of gifts of all sorts of heart and mind, of body and soul, however fruitful our action may be, we can remember the words of Saint Paul: O, man! What have you got which was not given you?!.. And indeed, he echoes at this point what Christ said in the first Beatitude, the Beatitude that opens the door to all other Beatitudes, the Beatitude which is the beginning of understanding: Blessed are the poor in spirit... Blessed are those who know, not only with their intellect - but at least with their intellect! - that they are nothing, and they possess nothing which is not a gift of God.

We were called into being out of naught, without our participation: our very existence is a gift! We were given life which we could not create, call out of ourselves. We have been given the knowledge of the existence of God, and indeed, a deeper, more intimate knowledge of God - all that is gift! And then, all that we are is a gift of God: our body, our heart, our mind, our soul - what power have we got over them when God does no longer sustain them? The greatest intelligence can of a sudden be swallowed into darkness by a stroke; there are moments when we are confronted with a need that requires all our sympathy, all our love - and we discover that our hearts are of stone and of ice... We want to do good - and we cannot; and Saint Paul knew it already when he said: The good which I love, I don't do, and the wrong which I hate I do continuously... And our body depends on so many things!

And what of our relationships, of the friendship which is given us, the love which sustains us, the comradeship - everything that we are and which we possess is a gift: what is the next move: isn't it gratitude? Can’t we turn to God not as a pharisee, priding ourselves of what we are and forgetting that all that is HIS, but turning to God and saying: O, God! All that is a gift from You! all that beauty, intelligence, a sensitive heart, all the circumstances of life are a gift! Indeed, all those circumstances, even those which frighten us are a gift because God says to us: I trust you enough to send you into the darkness to bring light! I send you into corruption to be the salt that stops corruption! I send you where there is no hope to bring hope, where there is no joy to bring joy, no love to bring love... and one could go on, on, on, seeing that when we are send into the darkness it is to be God's presence and God's life, and that means that He trusts us - He trusts us, He believes in us, He hopes for us everything: isn't that enough to be grateful?

But gratitude is not just a cold word of thanks; gratitude means that we wish to make Him see that all that was not given in vain, that He did not become man, lived, died in vain; gratitude means a life that could give joy to God: this is a challenge of this particular parable.

Yes, the ideal would be for us to be humble - but what is humility? Who of us knows, and if someone knows, who can communicate it to everyone who doesn’t know? But gratitude we all know; we know small ways and small aspects of it! Let us reflect on it, and, let us in an act of gratitude recognise that we have no right to be in God’s own realm - and He lets us in! We have no right to commune to Him either in prayer, or in sacrament - and He calls us to commune with Him! We have no right to be His children, to be brothers and sisters of Christ, to be the dwelling place of the Spirit - and He grants it all in an act of love!

Let each of us reflect and ask himself: in what way can he or she be so grateful in such a way that God could rejoice that He has not given in vain, been in vain, lived and died in vain, that we have received the message. And if we grow in a true depth of gratitude, at the depth of gratitude we will knock down, adore the Lord, and learn what humility is not abasement, but adoration, the awareness that He is all we possess, all that we are, and that we are open to Him like the earth, the rich earth is open to the plough, to the sowing, to the seed, to the sunshine, to the rain, to everything in order to bring fruit. Amen!