Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee marks the formal beginning of the Lenten Triodion in the Orthodox Church.

The Gospel reading is the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee from Luke 18:10–14.

Two men enter the Temple to pray.

One is a Pharisee: religious, disciplined, and confident in his own righteousness.

The other is a publican, or tax collector: a man whose profession was widely associated with corruption and exploitation.

The Pharisee thanks God that he is not like sinful people and lists his religious achievements.

The publican stands at a distance, will not even raise his eyes toward heaven, and asks God for mercy.

Christ concludes that it is the publican who goes home justified.

The lesson is not that fasting, prayer, or generosity are wrong.

The warning is that even good religious practices can become spiritually destructive when they produce:

• Pride
• Self-righteousness
• Comparison with others
• Contempt

The publican teaches the opposite movement:

See your own need for mercy before judging someone else's sins.

This is why the Orthodox Church begins the Triodion with humility before it asks Christians to intensify fasting.

Publican and Pharisee Sunday at a Glance

What Is the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee?

The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee is the first Sunday of the Orthodox Lenten Triodion.

It begins a gradual spiritual preparation for Great Lent and Pascha.

Before Christians are asked to intensify:

• Fasting
• Prayer
• Almsgiving
• Repentance

the Church first teaches humility.

Why Does the Triodion Begin With Humility?

Religious discipline can become dangerous when it feeds pride.

A person may:

• Fast strictly
• Attend services
• Give money
• Read prayers

and still become spiritually farther from God if those practices produce contempt for other people.

The Publican and the Pharisee therefore asks a fundamental Lenten question:

Are my religious practices making me more humble or merely more impressed with myself?

Where Is the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee in the Bible?

The parable appears in:

Luke 18:10–14.

Luke introduces it as a teaching directed toward people who trusted in their own righteousness and looked down on others.

Who Was a Pharisee?

The Pharisees were an important Jewish religious movement during the Second Temple period.

They were deeply concerned with:

• Religious law
• Purity
• Faithfulness to tradition
• Interpretation of Scripture

The Gospels contain both conflict with Pharisees and encounters with individual Pharisees.

It would therefore be historically inaccurate to treat “Pharisee” as simply a synonym for an evil person.

Why Is the Pharisee Criticized in This Parable?

He is not condemned merely because he belongs to the Pharisaic movement.

The problem is the way he approaches God and other people.

His prayer becomes a comparison.

He looks at:

• His own fasting
• His own tithing
• His own moral record

and then contrasts himself with those he considers inferior.

Was the Pharisee Lying About His Good Works?

The parable does not say that he is lying.

He may truly fast and tithe.

That makes the spiritual warning even stronger.

Good actions do not automatically produce humility.

A person can do objectively good things and then use those things as a reason to despise someone else.

Is Fasting the Pharisee's Sin?

No.

This is especially important in a Gospel reading chosen to prepare Christians for Great Lent.

The Orthodox Church is not criticizing fasting itself.

The Pharisee says that he fasts, but his fasting has become part of his self-congratulation.

The problem is:

Fasting without humility.

Is Giving a Tithe Wrong?

No.

Generosity is not the problem either.

The Pharisee turns religious discipline into evidence of his superiority.

What Is Spiritual Pride?

Spiritual pride occurs when a person uses religion to elevate himself above others.

It may appear as:

• Feeling morally superior
• Constantly comparing spiritual practices
• Judging another person's fasting
• Boasting about prayer or church attendance
• Treating sinners as beneath compassion

Why Is Spiritual Pride Especially Dangerous?

Ordinary pride can be obvious.

Spiritual pride can hide inside things that appear religious.

A person may believe that because the activity itself is good, his attitude must also be good.

The parable shows that this is not necessarily true.

Who Was the Publican?

The word publican is a traditional English term for a tax collector.

In the Roman world, tax collectors were frequently disliked because taxation systems could involve:

• Collaboration with political authority
• Financial exploitation
• Abuse of collection systems

Tax collectors therefore had a poor social and religious reputation.

Is the Publican Presented as a Good Man?

Not because his profession is morally admirable.

The point is that he recognizes his need for God's mercy.

He does not defend himself.

He does not compare himself favorably with anyone else.

He simply repents.

What Does the Publican Do in the Temple?

The Gospel describes several details of his posture.

He:

• Stands at a distance
• Will not raise his eyes toward heaven
• Strikes his breast
• Asks God for mercy

The body and the prayer communicate the same thing:

Humility.

What Does the Publican Pray?

His prayer is extremely short.

In English it is commonly rendered:

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

It contains no explanation of why he deserves mercy.

He simply asks for it.

Why Is the Publican's Prayer So Important?

It gives Orthodox Christians one of the simplest models of repentance.

The publican:

• Recognizes God
• Recognizes his own sin
• Asks for mercy

He does not spend his prayer analyzing the sins of someone standing nearby.

Is the Publican's Prayer the Jesus Prayer?

No.

But the two prayers have a similar spiritual structure.

The Publican prays:

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

The Jesus Prayer is commonly:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Both combine prayer with acknowledgment of the need for mercy.

Did the Jesus Prayer Come Directly From This Parable?

The Jesus Prayer developed within the wider biblical and ascetic tradition of the Church.

The Publican's prayer is one important biblical parallel, but the Jesus Prayer should not be reduced to a simple quotation from Luke 18.

Why Does the Publican Beat His Breast?

Striking the breast is a biblical gesture associated with sorrow, repentance, and recognition of sin.

His physical posture matches his inner state.

Why Doesn't the Publican Look Up?

The Gospel describes him as unwilling even to lift his eyes toward heaven.

This communicates shame and humility before God.

Does Humility Mean Hating Yourself?

No.

Orthodox humility is not self-hatred.

It means seeing ourselves truthfully before God.

That includes recognizing:

• Our sins
• Our weaknesses
• Our need for grace
• The gifts God has given us

without turning either our failures or our accomplishments into a false identity.

What Is the Difference Between Humility and Low Self-Esteem?

Low self-esteem may say:

“I have no worth.”

Christian humility does not say that.

Humility says:

“I am not God. I need mercy. Whatever good I have is not a reason to despise another person.”

Why Is the Publican Justified?

Christ says that the publican goes home justified rather than the Pharisee.

The publican does not pretend his sins do not exist.

He places himself honestly before God and asks for mercy.

What Does “Justified” Mean Here?

In the context of the parable, it means that the publican leaves the Temple in a right relationship before God rather than the self-exalting Pharisee.

The surprising reversal is central to the teaching.

Why Is the Ending of the Parable a Reversal?

From a social perspective, listeners might expect the disciplined religious man to be the spiritual model.

Instead, Christ points to the despised tax collector.

The reversal is:

The man who considers himself righteous is not justified, while the sinner who asks for mercy is.

What Does “Everyone Who Exalts Himself Will Be Humbled” Mean?

Christ concludes the parable with a principle repeated elsewhere in the Gospel:

Self-exaltation leads downward; humility leads upward.

It reverses ordinary competition for status.

Why Does Jesus Criticize Comparison?

The Pharisee's prayer depends on another person being worse than he is.

His confidence is partly constructed through comparison:

“I am not like that man.”

The Publican never compares himself with the Pharisee.

He looks only at his own need for mercy.

Why Is Comparing Sins Dangerous?

Comparison can easily become a way to avoid repentance.

A person may think:

• I am better than him
• I fast more than her
• I go to church more often
• My sins are not as serious as theirs

Even if some comparisons are factually true, they may still distract us from our own spiritual condition.

Does Christianity Teach That We Should Never Recognize Wrongdoing?

No.

Humility does not mean pretending that right and wrong do not exist.

The problem is turning recognition of another person's sin into self-exaltation.

Can We Judge Actions Without Condemning People?

Christian moral teaching requires discernment about actions.

But the Publican and Pharisee warns against treating another person's failures as evidence of our own spiritual superiority.

Why Is the Pharisee's Prayer So Dangerous?

It looks like thanksgiving.

He begins by thanking God.

But the content quickly turns toward himself:

• What I do
• How I behave
• How I am better

God becomes almost an audience for the Pharisee's self-evaluation.

Is Thanking God for Good Things Wrong?

No.

Thanksgiving is central to Christian prayer.

The problem is thanking God in a way that ends in contempt for someone else.

What Should the Pharisee Have Done Differently?

He could have thanked God for the ability to fast and give generously while still acknowledging his own need for mercy.

He also could have prayed for the publican rather than using him as a negative comparison.

Is the Publican Better Because He Has More Sins?

No.

Sin itself is not praised.

The publican is praised for repentance and humility.

Does the Parable Encourage People to Sin So They Can Be Humble?

No.

The lesson is not:

“Sin more.”

The lesson is:

Do not let religious success destroy repentance.

Can a Virtuous Person Be Humble?

Yes.

Orthodox Christianity does not teach that holiness requires pretending virtue does not exist.

A humble person recognizes good as a gift and responsibility rather than a reason to despise others.

Why Is This Gospel Read Before Great Lent?

Great Lent includes increased attention to:

• Fasting
• Prayer
• Services
• Confession
• Almsgiving

These are good practices.

But they can all become occasions for pride.

So before the Church begins the great season of ascetic discipline, it gives a warning:

Do not become the Pharisee.

What Is the Lenten Triodion?

The Triodion is both a liturgical book and the name commonly used for the season leading into and through Great Lent.

It contains hymns and services guiding Orthodox Christians toward Pascha.

Why Is It Called the Triodion?

The name comes from a Greek term connected with hymns containing three odes.

The liturgical book became known by this characteristic form.

When Does the Triodion Begin?

The Triodion begins with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee.

This distinguishes it from Zacchaeus Sunday, which precedes the formal opening of the Triodion and serves as an early announcement that Lent is approaching.

Does Great Lent Begin on Publican and Pharisee Sunday?

No.

The Triodion begins, but Great Lent itself starts several weeks later on Clean Monday.

What Comes After Publican and Pharisee Sunday?

The main pre-Lenten sequence is:

1. Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
2. Sunday of the Prodigal Son
3. Meatfare Sunday / Sunday of the Last Judgment
4. Cheesefare Sunday / Forgiveness Sunday
5. Clean Monday — Beginning of Great Lent

Where Does Zacchaeus Sunday Fit?

Zacchaeus Sunday normally comes immediately before the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee.

The spiritual progression is:

Zacchaeus → Desire for Christ

Publican and Pharisee → Humility

Prodigal Son → Return

Last Judgment → Love

Forgiveness Sunday → Reconciliation

Great Lent → Repentance and preparation for Pascha

Why Does the Church Prepare for Lent for Several Weeks?

Great Lent represents a significant change in spiritual rhythm.

The Church therefore prepares Christians gradually.

Before the fasting rules become stricter, the Gospel readings teach what the fast is supposed to produce.

What Is the Central Theme of Each Pre-Lenten Sunday?

Why Is the Week After Publican and Pharisee Sunday Fast-Free?

In traditional Byzantine Orthodox practice, the week following the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee is fast-free.

This means the ordinary Wednesday and Friday fast is not observed in the usual way.

Why Would the Church Remove Fasting While Preparing for Lent?

The timing makes a theological point.

The Pharisee boasts about his fasting.

Immediately afterward, the Church temporarily removes the normal weekly fast.

This teaches that fasting is a spiritual tool, not a source of superiority.

Does This Mean Fasting Is Unimportant?

No.

Great Lent will soon introduce extensive fasting.

The fast-free week teaches something different:

Fasting without humility can become spiritually useless.

Can Orthodox Christians Eat Meat on Wednesday and Friday During This Week?

In traditional Byzantine Orthodox practice, the week is fast-free, so the usual Wednesday and Friday abstinence is relaxed.

Individual pastoral instructions, monasteries, health situations, and jurisdictional practice can differ, so Christians should follow the guidance of their parish and spiritual father.

Why Is This Sometimes Called a “Fast-Free Week”?

Because the ordinary weekly fasting pattern is suspended.

The Church is preparing believers to understand fasting properly before the stricter Lenten discipline begins.

Is Publican and Pharisee Sunday a Feast Day?

It is primarily a liturgical Sunday of preparation rather than a fixed feast comparable with the Nativity or Theophany.

Its date changes according to the Paschal cycle.

Why Does Its Date Change Every Year?

The pre-Lenten Sundays are calculated in relation to Pascha.

Because Pascha changes date, the Sundays leading toward Great Lent also move.

How Is the Sunday Connected to Pascha?

The connection is indirect but essential.

The journey is:

Humility → Repentance → Great Lent → Holy Week → Cross → Resurrection.

The Church prepares for Pascha by beginning with the inner condition necessary for repentance.

Publican and Pharisee Sunday vs Zacchaeus Sunday

Why Do Both Sundays Feature Tax Collectors?

This creates a powerful transition.

Zacchaeus is a tax collector who changes his life.

The publican is a tax collector who humbly asks for mercy.

People with poor reputations become examples of repentance.

Publican and Pharisee Sunday vs Prodigal Son Sunday

The next Sunday shifts from humility to return.

Publican and Pharisee

I must stop justifying myself and recognize my need for mercy.

Prodigal Son

I must rise and return to the Father.

The spiritual movement develops step by step.

Why Is Humility Necessary Before Repentance?

A person who believes he has nothing to repent of will not return.

Humility makes repentance possible because it allows us to see ourselves truthfully.

Publican and Pharisee Sunday vs Forgiveness Sunday

The Publican teaches us not to despise another sinner.

Forgiveness Sunday later asks us to repair relationships directly through forgiveness.

The movement is:

Stop judging → Recognize your own sin → Forgive → Enter Lent.

Publican and Pharisee Sunday and the Jesus Prayer

The Publican's short request for mercy strongly resembles the spirituality of the Jesus Prayer.

The Jesus Prayer is commonly:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Why Is “Have Mercy” So Important in Orthodox Prayer?

Mercy in Christian prayer is not merely asking God to overlook wrongdoing.

It includes a request for:

• Forgiveness
• Healing
• Help
• Restoration
• Divine compassion

Is Asking for Mercy a Sign of Fear?

It can involve reverence and recognition of sin, but Orthodox prayer does not understand God's mercy only as escape from punishment.

Mercy also means receiving healing and restoration from God.

Why Is the Publican's Prayer So Short?

Length does not determine the value of prayer.

The publican's prayer is short because it is direct and honest.

Christ contrasts its humility with the Pharisee's self-centered prayer.

Does Orthodoxy Prefer Short Prayers?

Orthodox worship includes both very short prayers and long liturgical services.

The issue is not length.

The issue is attention, humility, and truthfulness before God.

What Does This Sunday Teach About Church Attendance?

Both men go to the Temple.

Simply being in a sacred place does not automatically transform the heart.

Two people can stand in the same house of worship and leave in very different spiritual conditions.

Does Going to Church Make Someone a Pharisee?

No.

Church attendance is not the problem.

The Pharisee's problem is pride and contempt.

Can Someone Be Religious Without Being Humble?

Yes.

That is exactly the warning of the parable.

Religious activity and spiritual transformation are related, but they are not automatically identical.

What Does the Parable Teach About Religious Identity?

Labels do not guarantee spiritual condition.

The socially respected religious figure can fall into pride.

The socially despised sinner can repent.

Does This Mean Religious Tradition Is Unimportant?

No.

The Orthodox Church reads this parable within a highly traditional liturgical season.

The warning is against using tradition as a weapon of superiority rather than allowing it to transform us.

What Does the Parable Teach About Self-Knowledge?

The Pharisee knows the publican's apparent faults better than he knows his own heart.

The publican focuses on himself before God.

This gives an important spiritual principle:

Repentance begins when attention turns from another person's sins toward our own need for healing.

Does Humility Mean Ignoring Our Gifts?

No.

A person can recognize:

• Talents
• Achievements
• Virtues
• Progress

without treating them as proof of superiority.

What Is False Humility?

False humility may involve pretending:

• We have no abilities
• Nothing good has happened
• We are worthless

Christian humility seeks truth rather than theatrical self-denigration.

Could the Publican Become Proud of His Humility?

Yes, which is why the parable should not become another way of comparing ourselves with others.

It would be ironic to say:

“Thank God I am humble like the publican and not proud like those Pharisees.”

That would reproduce the very problem the parable warns against.

Why Is This One of the Most Important Lessons of the Parable?

It is easy to criticize the Pharisee from a distance.

It is much harder to recognize his attitude in ourselves.

The Publican and Pharisee in Orthodox Iconography

Orthodox images of the parable generally show both men praying in or near the Temple.

The composition visually contrasts their postures.

Common elements may include:

• The Pharisee standing confidently
• The Publican standing farther away
• The Publican bowing his head
• The Publican striking his breast
• Temple architecture
• Christ or narrative scenes in some expanded compositions

How Can I Identify the Pharisee in the Icon?

He is commonly shown:

• Standing upright
• In a prominent position
• With a confident posture
• Sometimes gesturing in prayer

The exact clothing and composition vary.

How Can I Identify the Publican?

He is often shown:

• At a distance
• Bowed
• Looking downward
• With a hand near his breast

The contrast in posture expresses the contrast in prayer.

Why Is the Publican Farther Away?

The Gospel explicitly says he stands at a distance.

The icon uses physical distance to help make his humility visible.

Why Is the Pharisee Standing Tall?

His upright and confident posture can visually express the self-assurance described in the Gospel.

The icon should not be read as teaching that standing upright in prayer is itself wrong.

Why Is the Publican Bowed?

The bowed posture communicates:

• Repentance
• Humility
• Awareness of sin
• Dependence on mercy

Is Body Posture Important in Orthodox Prayer?

Yes.

Orthodox worship often uses the body through:

• Standing
• Bowing
• Prostrations
• The sign of the Cross

But physical posture should express inner prayer rather than become another source of pride.

How to Read an Icon of the Publican and the Pharisee

1. Find the Two Men

The composition depends on their contrast.

2. Compare Their Positions

The Pharisee is commonly prominent while the Publican stands at a distance.

3. Compare Their Postures

One appears self-assured; the other humble.

4. Look at the Publican's Hands

His gesture may recall striking the breast in repentance.

5. Look at the Temple

Both men are praying in the same sacred environment.

6. Remember the Reversal

The person who appears spiritually impressive is not the one Christ says goes home justified.

Publican and Pharisee Icon Symbolism Quick Guide

Publican and Pharisee Sunday for Children

The parable can be explained to children without turning it into:

“One man was good and the other was bad.”

A better lesson is:

• Both men went to pray
• One spent his prayer thinking about how good he was
• He also looked down on another person
• The other knew he had done wrong
• He asked God for mercy
• Jesus teaches us to be humble

How Can I Explain the Pharisee to a Child?

You can say:

“He did some good things, but he started thinking those good things made him better than everyone else.”

How Can I Explain the Publican to a Child?

You can say:

“He knew he had done wrong and asked God to forgive and help him.”

What Is the Main Lesson for Children?

A simple version is:

“When we pray, we should ask God to help us become better instead of telling God how much better we are than someone else.”

What Can Families Practice on This Sunday?

A family can practice a simple rule:

Instead of discussing someone else's failures, each person identifies one thing in his or her own behavior that needs improvement.

A Simple Publican and Pharisee Sunday Practice

1. Stop Comparing

Notice when your spiritual confidence depends on being better than someone else.

2. Ask for Mercy

Use a short prayer such as:

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

3. Look at Your Own Life

Choose one real area that needs repentance.

4. Prepare for Lent Without Pride

Do not turn fasting plans into a competition.

What Should I Reflect on During This Sunday?

Useful questions include:

• Do I compare my spiritual life with other people?
• Do I feel superior because I fast or attend church?
• Do I notice other people's sins more easily than my own?
• Can I ask God for mercy without making excuses?
• Do my religious practices make me more compassionate?

How Should This Sunday Affect My Great Lent?

It changes the goal.

The goal is not:

“How perfectly can I complete the rules?”

The better question is:

“Will prayer, fasting, and repentance make me more humble, more truthful, and more loving?”

What If I Cannot Keep a Strict Fast?

The Publican and Pharisee provides an important reminder that fasting is not a competition.

Health, age, pregnancy, work, medication, and other circumstances can affect fasting practice.

Pastoral guidance is more appropriate than comparing your rule with another person's.

Can Someone Fast Strictly and Still Miss the Point of Lent?

Yes.

That possibility is one reason this Gospel opens the Triodion.

Can Someone Keep a Modified Fast and Still Have a Serious Lent?

Yes.

The spiritual life cannot be measured only by a food list.

Prayer, repentance, mercy, honesty, generosity, and pastoral obedience remain essential.

Why Does the Church Still Give Fasting Rules?

Because physical discipline can help train desire, attention, and self-control.

The parable does not abolish ascetic practice.

It places ascetic practice inside humility.

What Is the Relationship Between Fasting and Humility?

Fasting should teach:

• Dependence
• Self-control
• Compassion
• Attention to God

If it instead produces pride, the spiritual purpose has been distorted.

What Does This Sunday Teach About Social Media?

The parable was spoken long before social media, but its principle applies easily.

Religious practice can become performance.

People can publicly display:

• Fasting
• Prayer routines
• Church attendance
• Knowledge
• Moral opinions

in ways that quietly create comparison and self-exaltation.

Does This Mean Christians Should Never Talk About Their Faith?

No.

Witness, teaching, and encouragement are important.

The question is whether the focus is:

Christ and truth

or:

My superiority.

What Does the Publican Teach About Confession?

The publican approaches God without self-defense.

This makes the parable an important preparation for the spirit of Confession.

In Confession, Christians are not supposed to explain why someone else's behavior caused all their sins.

The focus is our own repentance before God.

Is the Publican's Prayer a Complete Sacramental Confession?

No.

The parable is not a technical description of the Orthodox sacrament of Confession.

It teaches the inner posture necessary for repentance.

Why Is Blaming Others the Opposite of the Publican's Prayer?

The publican does not say:

“I sinned because of those people.”

He simply asks for mercy.

This does not mean other people never harm us.

It means repentance begins with responsibility for what is actually ours.

What Does the Parable Teach About Mercy?

God's mercy is not reserved for people with impressive religious résumés.

The sinner who turns toward God can ask for mercy.

Does Mercy Mean Sin Does Not Matter?

No.

If sin were meaningless, repentance would also be meaningless.

Mercy matters precisely because something needs healing and forgiveness.

Does God Prefer Sinners to Righteous People?

The parable is not teaching that sin is superior to virtue.

It teaches that self-righteous pride can destroy the spiritual benefit of good actions, while genuine repentance opens a sinner to mercy.

Why Is the Publican Such a Powerful Orthodox Image?

He reduces prayer to its essential movement:

God → mercy → sinner → repentance.

There is no spiritual performance.

Is Humility the Same as Weakness?

No.

Humility requires enough strength to face reality without hiding behind excuses or superiority.

Can Humility and Confidence Exist Together?

Yes.

A Christian can act decisively and confidently while still recognizing dependence on God and respecting other people.

Why Does Humility Lead to Exaltation?

Christian exaltation is not the same as winning social status.

Christ's teaching repeatedly reverses ordinary hierarchies:

• The humble are lifted up
• The servant becomes great
• The last may become first

Why Does Pride Lead to Humiliation?

Pride builds an identity on an exaggerated view of the self.

When that false structure is exposed, it collapses.

Humility begins with reality and therefore provides a more stable foundation for spiritual growth.

Common Misconceptions About the Publican and the Pharisee

Myth: The Pharisee is condemned because he fasts.

No.

He is criticized for self-righteousness and contempt.

Myth: Giving money to religion is bad because the Pharisee tithed.

No.

Tithing itself is not the problem.

Myth: The Publican is righteous because tax corruption is acceptable.

No.

He is justified because he repents and asks for mercy.

Myth: The parable says good works do not matter.

No.

It warns against turning good works into a source of pride.

Myth: Humility means thinking you are worthless.

No.

Myth: Christians should never recognize another person's wrongdoing.

No.

The warning concerns contempt and self-exaltation, not the abolition of moral discernment.

Myth: The Publican's prayer is exactly the Jesus Prayer.

No.

The prayers are closely related in spiritual structure but are not identical.

Myth: Publican and Pharisee Sunday is the first Sunday of Great Lent.

No.

It begins the Triodion, several weeks before Great Lent.

Myth: Zacchaeus Sunday begins the Triodion.

No.

Zacchaeus Sunday prepares for it; the Publican and Pharisee begins it.

Myth: Orthodox Christians begin fasting more strictly immediately after this Sunday.

No.

The following week is traditionally fast-free in Byzantine Orthodox practice.

Myth: The fast-free week means fasting is unnecessary.

No.

It teaches that fasting must be joined to humility.

Myth: The Pharisee is condemned simply because he was a Pharisee.

No.

The parable criticizes his attitude rather than reducing an entire historic Jewish movement to a stereotype.

Myth: The Publican never needs to change his behavior.

No.

Repentance naturally calls toward a transformed life.

Publican and Pharisee Terms to Know

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee FAQ

What is the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee?

It is the first Sunday of the Orthodox Lenten Triodion and focuses on Christ's parable in Luke 18:10–14.

Where is the Publican and Pharisee story in the Bible?

Luke 18:10–14.

Who was the publican?

A publican was a tax collector.

Who was the Pharisee?

He was a member of an important Jewish religious movement known for serious attention to religious law and tradition.

Why is the Pharisee criticized?

Because his religious discipline becomes self-righteousness and contempt for others.

Was fasting the Pharisee's sin?

No.

The problem was pride.

What does the publican pray?

He asks God to be merciful to him as a sinner.

Why is the publican justified?

Because he approaches God with humility and repentance rather than confidence in his own superiority.

What is the main theme of the Sunday?

Humility.

Does Publican and Pharisee Sunday begin Great Lent?

No.

Does it begin the Triodion?

Yes.

What Sunday comes before it?

Zacchaeus Sunday.

What Sunday comes after it?

The Sunday of the Prodigal Son.

Is the following week fast-free?

Yes, in traditional Byzantine Orthodox practice.

Why is there a fast-free week before Lent?

It reminds Christians that fasting is a means of spiritual growth and must not become a source of pride.

Is the Publican's prayer the Jesus Prayer?

No, but the two prayers share a strong emphasis on asking God for mercy.

Does humility mean thinking I am worthless?

No.

Christian humility means seeing oneself truthfully before God.

Does the parable say good works are useless?

No.

It warns that good works can be spiritually distorted by pride.

Can a person fast strictly and still act like the Pharisee?

Yes.

That danger is one reason this Gospel is read before Great Lent.

Why does the Orthodox Church begin the Triodion with this story?

Because humility is necessary before fasting, repentance, Confession, and the rest of the Lenten journey can bear spiritual fruit.

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee: The Short Answer

The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee begins the Orthodox Lenten Triodion.

The Gospel reading is Luke 18:10–14.

Two men enter the Temple to pray.

The Pharisee lists his good religious practices and compares himself favorably with other people.

The publican stands at a distance and simply asks God for mercy.

Christ says that the publican goes home justified.

The parable does not teach that:

• Fasting is bad
• Tithing is bad
• Virtue is bad

It teaches that spiritual discipline becomes dangerous when it produces:

• Pride
• Self-righteousness
• Comparison
• Contempt for others

The Publican teaches the opposite posture:

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

This is why the Orthodox Church begins the Triodion with humility.

Before Christians begin the stricter fasting of Great Lent, they first learn that fasting itself cannot save them from pride.

The week following this Sunday is therefore traditionally fast-free.

The spiritual movement toward Pascha becomes:

Zacchaeus — desire.

Publican and Pharisee — humility.

Prodigal Son — return.

Last Judgment — love.

Forgiveness Sunday — reconciliation.

Great Lent — repentance.

Pascha — Resurrection.

Explore the Journey to Great Lent at Mercy Fold

Continue with Mercy Fold's related Orthodox calendar and Lenten guides:

• Zacchaeus Sunday
• Sunday of the Prodigal Son
• Meatfare Sunday: The Last Judgment
• Cheesefare Sunday and Forgiveness Sunday
• Great Lent in the Orthodox Church
• Orthodox Fasting Calendar
• Orthodox Calendar
• Orthodox Calendar 2027
• Palm Sunday in the Orthodox Church
• Orthodox Pascha (Easter): Meaning, Traditions and Dates
• Orthodox Easter 2027
• Orthodox Liturgical Year Explained
• The Resurrection Icon Explained
• Prayer Corner FAQ

Use this guide to understand why humility opens the Lenten Triodion, then continue through the Prodigal Son, the Last Judgment, Forgiveness Sunday, Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha.