Glory be to Jesus Christ!
🌞
2 Timothy III, 14 — 'ἔμαθες' - 'emathes' - 'learned, ascertained' - from 'μανθάνω'.
The immediate continuation of the reading for today is the one I wrote about at the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12122023.html
For the reading from the Apostle, please refer to this link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05022023.html
Luke XVIII, 11 — 'εἰμὶ' - 'eimi' - (I) 'am'. It is used for emphasis.
The well-known Parable of the Saviour about the Tax Collector and the Pharisee, through the reading of which the Sunday got its name — the Sunday of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee.
I wrote earlier at the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05022023.html
I would like to draw attention today to the fact that in this age there is always a possibility for a person to be exalted and to be lowered — therefore, both ascension and lowering do not really depend on human nature and are not determined by it. If they were dependent on human nature, they would have natural limitations, because human nature is limited as the nature of creation, and then there would be either the lowest position or the highest. But no, the Lord says that there is always the possibility of being raised or lowered for every person in this age - so it can only come from the infinite God. Indeed, ascension comes from God, from the vocation of a person, which the Lord leads them, and not from human nature or the desire to exalt oneself. And the lowering depends on the unrepentance and sins of sinful human beings, who can resist the infinite mercy and generosity of God.
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!