Like Odysseus to the Mast
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost | Fr. Scott Archer | August 2, 2026 “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Lk. 18:14). There are two ways of standing before God. One stands as though he possesses something to offer—as though righteousness were an achievement to be displayed, a record to be presented, a claim to be made. The other stands with empty hands, conscious not of his own merits but of his need. One measures himself and finds satisfaction; the other measures himself before God and asks only for mercy. This contrast reaches into every Christian life, because the great temptation is not always open rebellion against God. More often, it is subtle self-sufficiency. We begin to trust in what we have done, what we have avoided, what we know. The eager multitudes came to Our Lord with humble and teachable hearts. This is the pattern of the spiritual life: God does not despise our poverty; rather, through it He draws us into the fullness of His truth. The multitudes did ...