Humility in the Inner Temple

Neville's Inner Vision

Two voices contend within your temple: the Pharisee who prides himself on outward righteousness, and the tax collector who humbly acknowledges his need for mercy. The parable exposes that the outer form—prayers, fasts, appearances—is not the measure; the inner state is. In Neville’s terms, these figures are inner dispositions: one identifies with self-sufficiency and judgment, the other with dependence on the I AM. When you align with the prideful voice, you walk away from life’s current; when you align with the humble voice, you awaken to the truth that you are already accepted by the I AM. Justification, in this view, is an inward realization, not a verdict from without. Practice demands that you revise the sense of self until it echoes mercy: imagine yourself as the one already standing in right relation with the divine, feel the relief, gratitude, and quiet power that follows. The moment you assume the humble state, you discover that the temple’s reality conforms to your inner assumption.