The Yarah Project

Introduction

In the English translation of the Sacrament of Holy Confession for the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, there are three characters who remind us about the act of confession and repentance:

O Lord, Who is merciful and full of grace, accept me even as You accepted the publican, the woman who was a sinner and the thief on the cross.

“Prayer of Confession” in the Sacrament of Holy Confession

These three characters are from the Gospels. Let’s take a look at who they are and what their lives should teach us about sin, confession, and repentance. We can consider them one by one. Today, we’ll look at “The Publican” and the repentance in his life.

The Publican (‘Tax Collector’)

The parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector is found in the Gospel According to Luke (Lk 18:9-14). The Prayer of Confession uses the archaic term ‘publican’ which means “tax collector” (it meant something like civil servant and collecting taxes was their duty; I like that it’s a shorter word so I use it throughout this post). In this simple parable, Jesus illustrates to attitudes in human religious life. Jesus speaks out against those who are self-righteous and believe themselves to be perfect. The Pharisee is a highly devout man who attempts to keep the law and the commandments. He is in search of pleasing God, but because of a misunderstanding of the Scriptures, he has become prideful. Pride is a great sin, probably the original sin. As CS Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “the moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first — wanting to be the center — wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race.” Although the Pharisee did not want to set himself as “god”, he had the tendency to set himself above others. This self-centeredness and pride is a dangerous in our spiritual lives. It is a in nearsighted and narrowminded perspective. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt 18:21-35), Jesus taught the need to be compassionate and merciful to others on the basis that God compassionately forgives the sins of undeserving people. The Pharisee did not have this consciousness about his fellow humans.

The tax collector, on the other hand, was very conscious of his sinful life. We don’t know what kind of sin he was guilty of, but in our understanding of Jewish society of that day, a tax collector may have been a cheat, living in luxury and opulence at the expense of others, and unethical. He came to the temple to pray but he did not ask for anything except for mercy from God. Jesus does not say that the tax collector renounced his ways and started to live a good life. We do not know how God will work in the life of a person to transform them. Yet, here we learn about the attitude that God wants from us in worship: a humble and a broken heart. The self-righteous person cannot receive the peace of God because they do not want peace. They are seeking the approval of God for their life; the Pharisee does not see that God cannot approve of his pride. It was therefore the tax collector who saw the God of mercy and went home with peace in his heart. We may imagine that God began to work in the heart of the tax collector and bring him to repentance.

A Broken Heart like the Publican’s

When we come to this man in the Prayer of Holy Confession, what do we remember? Do we see how distant we had been from God? Or how we became self-righteous like the Pharisee? Do we understand how God justified the one who repented? Can we see the God of Mercy? In the Eastern Christian theological foundation that the Mar Thoma Syrian Church shares, liturgical prayers are not just doctrine but moments for meditation. Therefore, the Confession Prayer, showing us the doctrine of God’s mercy and forgiveness, also calls us to deeply reflect on our lives as we prepare to participate in the Holy Qurbana.

What should we think about when we remember the Publican in the Prayer of Confession?

• Humble Life: Humility in our life with others and before God. The Pharisee was self-righteous and proud. By his own calculations, he was righteous, but God who measures the inner heart knew that it was not so. In contrast, the Publican knew his failure and openly confessed. His was a truly broken heart. The Pharisee didn’t realize his unhealthy life and didn’t feel need for healing. The Publican however wanted to be healed.
• Seeking God: Although both men went to pray, one wanted to be praised by God and the other wanted compassion. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who sought recognition and honor from people. He told them, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matt 23:12)” The attitude towards God should be of reverence and humility because of the greatness and holiness of God. But because our God is compassionate to the humble, God comes to us. That is such a great honor. Most of us never even have the privilege of being with a celebrity or a great ruler. but God the Creator comes to meet us.
• Receiving Divine Grace: God’s grace can be understood as God’s favor. St. Mary was a recipient of this favor of God (Luke 1:28). The Pharisee being blind to his sin went away with self-satisfaction, having completed his usual ritual and feeling accomplished. The tax-collector, on the other hand, made his confession before God and put his burdens on God. Jesus doesn’t tell us if the tax-collector made a 180-degree change in his life like Zacchaeus. But from the parable we can notice that a change has come into his life. His confession was not ritualistic like the Pharisee’s. He really wanted to change. God honored the genuineness of his confession and blessed him with the divine favor. Surely under the shadow of God’s grace, this man will be able to repent of his ways and lead a life acceptable to God.

Therefore, let our prayers of confession be true and earnest. Let us approach God with humility. He will hear our prayers and His favor will rest upon us, leading us to the righteous path.