He is silent about the woman, so that he might not spoil the answer. The one, he says, owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. The manner of the narrative is fearsome; our life is a record, invisibly writing down both thoughts and deeds and wanderings of the eyes and movements of the soul. But the philanthropic lender dispels the fear, the one who tears up the bonds of sin and not only tears them up but also makes them smooth with the waters of baptism, so that not a trace of a letter or syllable might remain as a reminder of past evils. Since they did not have, he says, the means to repay, he forgave them both. Did you see the philanthropic lender, how he lends, but does not take back? And how, when treated ungratefully, he does not grow numb, but his hand is stretched out to those who ask? Since they did not have, he says, the means to repay, he forgave them both. He forgave those not having, not those not willing; for it is one thing not to have and another not to be willing. I say something like this: God seeks nothing from us but repentance, whence he wants us always to rejoice and to run to repentance. If therefore, when we wish to repent, the multitude of sins shows our repentance to be powerless, it is not because of not being willing, but because of not having, that we do not pay the debt. For this reason, then, he says: Since they did not have, to show that seeing them willing to repay the debt through repentance, but being unable on account of the multitude of sins, as a lover of mankind he forgave them, freeing the debtor from the obligation not from deed but from intention. Since they did not have the means to repay, therefore, without flogging, without torturing, without handing them over to insult, he forgave them both. Who then, ought to love him more? And Simon answering said: I suppose that he to whom he forgave more. Behold the shrewdness of the Pharisee; when he saw himself already shut out from the truth by the argument, he puts "I suppose," fearing to give a complete answer. But the Lord did not record his opinion, but seizing his answer says to him: You have answered correctly. And turning to the woman he said to Simon: Do you see this woman, the sinner, forbidden to you, but being saved by me? I entered into your house—for the house is yours and not mine, the one full of reproach—you gave no water for my feet, feet that were covered with dust for your sake, that endured toil so that I might free from toils those who labor and are heavy laden. You offered honor by halves, admiring the things from above, but not attending to the things from below. But you gave no water for my feet, but she, releasing fountains of tears from her eyelids, has wiped away the filth of her sin. You gave me no kiss, as I wish neither had Judas who accomplished the betrayal with a kiss; but she, from when she entered, has not ceased kissing my feet. With oil you did not anoint my head, for "let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head." For how could you honor the head, having neglected the feet? But she prophetically anointed even my feet with myrrh; For "Your name," he says, "is myrrh poured out"; poured out, not spilled out. For since the vessel of the Judaic mind was rather rotten, for this reason the myrrh was poured out from your alabaster box on my feet, so that through me the grace of the fragrance might be channeled to the Gentiles. For this reason I say to you: Her many sins are forgiven; for you, though you received me under the same roof, did not honor me with a kiss nor attend to me with an ointment, but she, having received amnesty for many evils, has honored me with tears and myrrh, having mixed as it were a twofold mixing-bowl. Let us therefore bless the woman who covered the evils of Eve, the sinner, the harlot, the agent of good things, who showed the way of repentance and laid bare the law of philanthropy, who had the judge himself as an advocate, who conquered with tears the wailing of judgment. As many of you, therefore, who are present, emulate what you have heard and of the harlot not the

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ἀποσιωπᾷ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἵνα μὴ κακουργήσῃ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν. Ὁ εἷς, φησίν, ὤφειλε δηνάρια πεντακόσια καὶ ὁ ἕτερος πεντήκοντα. Φοβερὸς τοῦ διηγήματος ὁ τρόπος· γραμματεῖόν ἐστιν ὁ ἡμέτερος βίος ἀοράτως γράφων καὶ λογισμοὺς καὶ πράξεις καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν ῥεμβασμοὺς καὶ ψυχῆς κινήματα. Ἀλλὰ λύει τὸν φόβον ὁ φιλάνθρωπος δανειστής, ὁ τὰ χειρόγραφα διαρρήσσων τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ οὐ μόνον διαρρήσσων ἀλλὰ καὶ λεαίνων τοῖς ὕδασι τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ἵνα μὴ ἴχνος στοιχείου ἢ συλλαβῆς ἀπομεῖναν ὑπόμνημα γένηται τῶν παρωχηκότων κακῶν. Μὴ ἐχόντων οὖν, φησίν, αὐτῶν ἀποδοῦναι ἀμφοτέροις ἐχαρίσατο. Εἶδες φιλάνθρωπον δανειστήν, πῶς δανείζει μέν, οὐκ ἀπολαμβάνει δέ; Πῶς δὲ ἀγνωμονούμενος οὐ ναρκᾷ, ἀλλ' ἥπλωται αὐτοῦ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν ἡ χείρ; Μὴ ἐχόντων, φησίν, αὐτῶν ἀποδοῦναι ἀμφοτέροις ἐχαρίσατο. Ἀφῆκε μὴ ἐχόντων, οὐχὶ μὴ θελόντων· ἕτερον γὰρ μὴ ἔχειν καὶ ἕτερον μὴ θέλειν. Οἷόν τι λέγω· θεὸς οὐδὲν παρ' ἡμῶν ζητεῖ ἢ μετάνοιαν, ὅθεν βούλεται ἡμᾶς χαίρειν ἀεὶ καὶ προστρέχειν τῇ μετανοίᾳ. Ἐὰν οὖν θελόντων ἡμῶν μετανοῆσαι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἄτονον τὴν μετάνοιαν ἡμῶν δείξῃ, οὐ παρὰ τὸ μὴ θέλειν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν οὐκ ἐκτίννυμεν τὸ χρέος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν λέγει· Μὴ ἐχόντων αὐτῶν, ἵνα δείξῃ ὅτι ἰδὼν αὐτοὺς βουλομένους διὰ μετανοίας ἀποδοῦναι τὸ χρέος, μὴ δυναμένους δὲ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, ὡς φιλάνθρωπος αὐτοῖς συνεχώρησε οὐκ ἀπὸ πράξεως ἀλλ' ἀπὸ προαιρέσεως ἐλευθερώσας τῆς ὀφειλῆς τὸ ὑπόχρεον. Μὴ ἐχόντων οὖν αὐτῶν ἀποδοῦναι μὴ μαστίξας, μὴ στρεβλώσας, μὴ ὕβρει παραδοὺς ἀμφοτέροις ἐχαρίσατο. Τίς οὖν αὐτὸν ὀφείλει πλέον ἀγαπῆσαι; Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Σίμων εἶπεν· Ὑπολαμβάνω ὅτι ᾧ τὸ πλεῖον ἐχαρίσατο. Βλέπε τοῦ φαρισαίου τὸ δεινόν· ὡς εἶδεν ἑαυτὸν τῷ λόγῳ ἤδη τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποκλειόμενον, τὸ ὑπολαμβάνω τέθεικε φοβούμενος τελείαν τὴν ἀπόκρισιν δοῦναι. Ὁ δὲ κύριος οὐ τὴν γνώμην αὐτοῦ ἀνέγραφεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἁρπάσας λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὀρθῶς ἀπεκρίθης. Καὶ στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ Σίμωνι ἔφη· Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα, τὴν ἁμαρτωλόν, τήν σοι μὲν ἀπηγορευμένην, ἐμοὶ δὲ σῳζομένην; Εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου-σὸς γὰρ ὁ οἶκος καὶ οὐκ ἐμός, ὁ λοιδορίας μεστός-ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας μου οὐκ ἔδωκας, πόδας τοὺς διά σε κονισθέντας, τοὺς κόπον ὑπομείναντας ἵνα κόπων τοὺς κοπιῶντας καὶ πεφορτισμένους ἐλευθερώσω. Ἐξ ἡμισείας τὴν τιμὴν προσήνεγκας τὰ μὲν ἄνωθεν θαυμάσας, τὰ δὲ κάτωθεν μὴ θεραπεύσας. Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν ὕδωρ εἰς τοὺς πόδας μου οὐκ ἔδωκας, αὕτη δὲ πηγὰς δακρύων ἐκ τῶν βλεφάρων ἀφεῖσα τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῆς τὸν ῥύπον ἀπέσμηξε. Σύ μοι φίλημα οὐκ ἔδωκας, ὡς εἴθε μή τε Ἰούδας ὁ φιλήματι τὴν προδοσίαν ἐργασάμενος· αὕτη δὲ ἀφ' ἧς εἰσῆλθεν οὐ διέλειπε καταφιλοῦσά μου τοὺς πόδας. Ἐλαίῳ τὴν κεφαλήν μου οὐκ ἤλειψας, ἔλαιον γὰρ ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου. Πῶς γὰρ εἶχες τὴν κεφαλὴν τιμῆσαι ὁ ποδῶν ἀμελήσας; Αὕτη δὲ καὶ τοὺς πόδας μου προφητικῶς ἤλειψε μύρῳ· Μύρον γάρ, φησίν, ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι· ἐκκενωθέν, οὐκ ἐκχυθέν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ σκεῦος τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς γνώμης ὑπόσαθρον ἦν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τῆς ἀλαβαστροθήκης ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ποσί μου ἐξεκενώθη τὸ μύρον, ἵνα δι' ἐμοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη μετοχετευθῇ τῆς εὐωδίας ἡ χάρις. Οὗ χάριν λέγω σοι· Ἀφέωνται αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αἱ πολλαί· ὅτι σὺ μὲν ὁμορρόφιόν με δεξάμενος οὐδὲ φιλήματί με ἐτίμησας οὐδὲ ἀλείμματί με ἐθεράπευσας, αὕτη δὲ πολλῶν κακῶν ἀμνηστίαν λαβοῦσα ἐτίμησέ με ἐκ δακρύων καὶ μύρων οἱονεὶ διφυῆ κρατῆρα κερασαμένη. Μακαρίσωμεν οὖν τὴν ἄνθρωπον τὴν τὰ τῆς Εὔας καλύψασαν κακά, τὴν ἁμαρτωλόν, τὴν πόρνην, τὴν πρόξενον τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν δείξασαν μετανοίας τρόπον καὶ γυμνώσασαν φιλανθρωπίας νόμον, τὴν αὐτὸν τὸν κριτὴν συνήγορον ἐσχηκυῖαν, τὴν δάκρυσι νικήσασαν τὸν τῆς κρίσεως ὀδυρμόν. Ὅσοι οὖν πάρεστε, ζηλώσατε ἅπερ ἠκούσατε καὶ τῆς πόρνης μὴ τὴν

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