Ὁ Τελώνης καὶ ὁ Φαρισαῖος (Anthony Bloom Metropolitan of Sourozh (1914- 2003))

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

Στὸ ταξίδι μας πρὸς τὴν Τεσσαρακοστὴ καὶ τὸ Πάσχα, συναντοῦμε ἕναν ἀριθμὸ παραβολῶν ποὺ πρέπει νὰ μᾶς προετοιμάσουν στὸ ταξίδι μας. Καὶ ἡ σημερινὴ παραβολὴ μᾶς μιλάει γιὰ τὸν Τελώνη καὶ τὸν Φαρισαῖο.

Ὁ Τελώνης εἰσῆλθε στὴν ἐκκλησία γνωρίζοντας ὅτι δὲν ἔχει δικαίωμα νὰ βρίσκεται ἐκεῖ. Μὲ ποιὰ ἔννοια; Ἡ ἐκκλησία εἶναι ἕνα μικρὸ μέρος στὴ γῆ ποὺ εἶναι ὁλοκληρωτικὰ ἀφιερωμένο στὸν Θεό, ποὺ ἀνήκει στὸν Θεὸ, ἐκεῖ ὅπου ἔχει δικαίωμα νὰ ζεῖ, ἐκεῖ ὅπου ἐρχόμαστε νὰ συναντήσουμε Αὐτὸν καὶ κανέναν ἄλλο. Ὦ, φυσικὰ, ὅλους τοὺς ἄλλους, ἀλλὰ μαζί μ’ Ἐκεῖνον. Καὶ ὁ Τελώνης στάθηκε στὴν πόρτα γνωρίζοντας ὅτι εἶναι ἕνας ξένος καὶ ὅτι ἡ μόνη του ἐλπίδα βρισκόταν στὸ γεγονὸς ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀγαπᾶ. Εἶχε πεῖ στὴν Παλαιὰ Διαθήκη, « Παιδί μου, δῶσε μου τὴν καρδιά σου – ὅλα τὰ ὑπόλοιπα εἶναι δικά μου».

Ἔτσι μποροῦμε νὰ ἔλθουμε καὶ νὰ προσφέρουμε τὴν καρδιά μας στὸν Θεὸ καὶ μόνο τότε μποροῦμε νὰ βαδίσουμε σ’ αὐτὸν τὸν ἱερὸ τόπο.

Ὁ Φαρισαῖος ζοῦσε σύμφωνα μὲ τοὺς κανόνες· σκέφτηκε, ἔνοιωσε ὅτι ἔκανε τὸ κάθε τι ποὺ περίμεναν ἀπὸ αὐτὸν σύμφωνα μὲ τὸν νόμο, εἶχε δικαιώματα ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἶχε δικαίωμα νὰ βρίσκεται στὸ βασίλειο τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἦταν ἕνας ἀπὸ τὸν δικὸ Του λαό. Καὶ γι’ αὐτὸ, κοιτάζοντας γύρω του, μποροῦσε νὰ συγκρίνει τὸν ἑαυτό του μὲ ἄλλους ποὺ δὲν ἄξιζαν στὰ μάτια του τὸ ἴδιο μ’ ἐκεῖνον.

Ἄς προβληματιστοῦμε σχετικὰ μὲ τοὺς ἑαυτοὺς μας· ὅταν ἐρχόμαστε στὴν ἐκκλησία, συνειδητοποιοῦμε ὅτι εἶναι ἕνα βασίλειο ὅπου μποροῦμε νὰ εἰσέλθοῦμε μόνο ἄν ἡ καρδιὰ μας ἔχει δοθεῖ στὸν Θεό, καὶ μόνο ἄν ἡ καρδιὰ μας ἔχει γίνει ὁ τόπος κατοικίας Του; Καὶ ἐπίσης ἄν ἔχουμε προσπαθήσει, ἐντούτοις σκληρά, τίμια νὰ ζήσουμε σύμφωνα μὲ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, μποροῦμε νὰ ποῦμε ὅτι «ἀξίζω», μπορῶ νὰ πῶ «ἔχω δικαίωμα νὰ εἶμαι ἐδῶ»; Ὄχι, μόνο ἡ ἀγάπη μπορεῖ νὰ μᾶς δώσει τὸ δικαίωμα· μοναχὰ ἡ ἀμοιβαία ἀγάπη καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη μας πρὸς τὸν Θεὸ μπορεῖ νὰ μᾶς ἐπιτρέψουν νὰ εἰσέλθουμε σὲ τοῦτο τὸ ἱερὸ βασίλειο. Καὶ ὅταν ἐρχόμαστε στὴν ἐκκλησία, ἄς σταματήσουμε γιὰ ἔνα λεπτὸ στὴν πόρτα, καὶ ἄς σκεφτοῦμε, «Τοῦτο τὸ βασίλειο εἶναι ἱερό, εἶναι ὁ ἱερὸς τόπος τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἄς εἰσέλθω μὲ ὅλη μου τὴν καρδιὰ· «ἄς στραφοῦμε στὸν Θεό καὶ ἄς ποῦμε. «Κύριε, Εἶμαι ἀνάξιος, καὶ ὅμως ἔχω ἀγαπηθεῖ ἀπὸ ἐσένα· εἶμαι μολυσμένος, καὶ ὅμως μπορῶ νὰ ἀγαπῶ ἐσένα, Ὦ Κύριε, καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους γύρω μου. Μὲ ἀτέλειες, ὅμως εἶναι τὸ μόνο ἔδαφος ὅπου μπορῶ νὰ σταθῶ ἐδῶ».

Ἀμήν.

Ἀπόδοση Κειμένου: www.agiazoni.gr
Πρωτότυπο Κείμενο

20 February 2000

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

On our journey towards Lent, and beyond Lent towards Easter, we come to a series of parables which must prepare us to our journey through Lent. And today\’s parable speaks to us of the pharisee and of the publican.

The publican came into the church knowing that he has no right to be there. In what sense? The church is a small place on earth which is totally dedicated to God, which belongs to God alone, in which God has a right to live, into which we come to meet Him, and no-one else. O, of course, everyone else, but only together with Him. And the publican stood by the door knowing that he is a stranger and that his only hope lay in the fact that God loves. He had said in the Old Testament, ’Child, give Me thy heart — all the rest belongs to Me’.

So, we can come and give our heart to God, and only then can we walk into this sacred ground.

The pharisee lived according to rules; he thought, he felt that he did everything that was expected of him according to the Law, he had rights before God; he had a right to be in God’s realm, he was one of His people. And therefore, looking round he could compare others who in his eyes were not worthy of the same.

Let us reflect on ourselves; when we come to church: are we aware that it is a realm into which we can come only if our heart has been given to God, and if our heart has become His dwelling place? And also, if we have tried, however hard, however honestly to live according to the Gospel, can we say ’I am worthy’, can I say ’I have a right to be here’? No, it is only love that can give us a right; it is only our love, mutual, and our love to God that can allow us to enter into this sacred realm. And when we come, let us stop one moment by the door, and think, ’This realm is sacred; it is God\’s dwelling place; let me enter into it with all my heart;’ turn to God and say,’Lord, I am unworthy, and yet, I am loved; I am impure, and yet I can love Thee, O Lord, and the people around me. Imperfectly, but this is the only ground on which I can stand here’.

Amen.

Πηγή: agiazoni.gr