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to find a philanthropic master, this is what is most wonderful and paradoxical. Men, therefore, when they find their debtors, rejoice as if they had found prey and quarry, and they do everything to demand the whole amount; and if they are not able, because of the poverty of the debtors, they pour out their anger over the money upon the wretched body of the miserable ones, torturing and beating and inflicting countless evils upon him. But God, on the contrary, set everything in motion and managed things, so that He might release him from the debts. For in our case, to demand payment is wealth; but in God's case, to forgive is wealth; when we receive what is owed, we become wealthier; but God, when He forgives transgressions, is then most rich; for the wealth of God 51.25 is the salvation of men, just as Paul says: He who is rich toward all, and upon all who call upon him. But perhaps someone might say: "And how did He who wished to remit and forgive the charges, command him to be sold?" This very thing, therefore, most of all shows his philanthropy. But let us not be hasty, but let us proceed in an orderly way to the narrative of the parable. And since he did not have the means to pay, it says. What does it mean, "since he did not have the means to pay"? Again, an intensification of ingratitude; for when it says, "since he did not have the means to pay," it says nothing other than that he was devoid of good deeds, and had no good work to be reckoned to him for the release from his sins; for good deeds are reckoned, indeed they are certainly reckoned to us for the release from sins, just as faith is also for righteousness. For to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. And why do I speak of faith and good deeds, when even afflictions are reckoned to us for the remission of sins? And Christ shows this through the parable of Lazarus, by introducing Abraham saying to the rich man, that "Lazarus received his evil things in his lifetime, and for this reason he is comforted here." And Paul also shows this, writing to the Corinthians about the one who had committed fornication, and saying thus: "Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved." And consoling others who had sinned, he spoke thus: "For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and a number sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned with the world." But if temptation, and sickness, and weakness, and destruction of the flesh, which we endure unwillingly, not bringing them upon ourselves, are reckoned to us for the dissolution of sins, how much more are good deeds, which we pursue willingly and eagerly. But this man was devoid of every good, and had an unbearable burden of sins; for this reason it says: "Since he did not have the means to pay, he commanded him to be sold;" from which one can especially learn the Master's philanthropy, that He both made the reckoning, and commanded him to be sold; for He did both these things, so that he might not be sold. How is this clear? From the outcome; for if He wanted him to be sold, who was to hinder? who was to obstruct? 6. For what reason, then, did He command it, not intending to do it? In order to increase the fear; and He increased the fear through the threat, so that He might cast him into supplication; and He cast him into supplication, so that He might find an occasion for forgiveness. For He was able to release him even before his entreaty, but so that he would not become worse, He did not do this. He was able to grant forgiveness even before the reckoning, but lest, being ignorant of the mass of his sins, he become more inhuman and cruel toward his neighbors, for this reason He first taught him the magnitude of the debt, and then forgave it all. For if, after the reckoning had been made, and the debt had been shown, and the threat

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φιλανθρώπου τυχεῖν δεσπότου, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ μάλιστα θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν οὖν, ἐπειδὰν εὕρωσι τοὺς ὀφείλοντας, ὥσπερ θήραν καὶ ἄγραν εὑρόντες, οὕτω γεγήθασι, καὶ πάντα ποιοῦσιν, ὅπως τὸ πᾶν ἀπαιτήσωσι· κἂν μὴ δυνηθῶσι διὰ τὴν πενίαν τῶν ὀφειλόντων, τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν χρημάτων ὀργὴν εἰς τὸ ταλαίπωρον σῶμα τῶν ἀθλίων ἐκχέουσιν, αἰκίζοντες καὶ τύπτοντες καὶ μυρία αὐτῷ διατιθέντες κακά. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τοὐναντίον ἅπαντα ἐκίνει καὶ ἐπραγματεύετο, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξῃ τῶν ὀφλημάτων. Ἐπὶ γὰρ ἡμῶν τὸ ἀπαιτῆσαι, πλοῦτος· ἐπὶ δὲ Θεοῦ τὸ συγχωρῆσαι, πλοῦτος· ἡμεῖς ἐπειδὰν λάβωμεν τὰ ὀφειλόμενα, τότε εὐπορώτεροι γινόμεθα· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἐπειδὰν συγχωρήσῃ τὰ πλημμελήματα, τότε μάλιστα πλουτεῖ· πλοῦτος γὰρ Θεοῦ 51.25 τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ σωτηρία, καθάπερ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Ὁ πλουτῶν εἰς πάντας, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους αὐτόν. Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἄν· Καὶ πῶς ὁ βουλόμενος ἀφεῖναι καὶ συγχωρῆσαι τὰ ἐγκλήματα, ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν πραθῆναι; Αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο μάλιστα αὐτοῦ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν δείκνυσιν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐπειγώμεθα, ἀλλὰ τάξει προβαίνωμεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς παραβολῆς διήγησιν. Μὴ ἔχοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀποδοῦναι, φησί. Τί ἐστι, Μὴ ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ ἀποδοῦναι; Πάλιν ἐπίτασις ἀγνωμοσύνης· ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, Μὴ ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ ἀποδοῦναι, οὐδὲν ἄλλο λέγει, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι κατορθωμάτων ἔρημος ἦν, καὶ οὐδὲν εἶχεν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν, ὥστε λογισθῆναι αὐτῷ εἰς τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγήν· λογίζεται γὰρ, λογίζεται πάντως ἡμῖν ἐπὶ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγῇ κατορθώματα, καθάπερ οὖν καὶ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Τῷ γὰρ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ, πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ, λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Καὶ τί λέγω πίστιν καὶ κατορθώματα, ὅπου γε καὶ θλίψεις λογίζονται ἡμῖν εἰς ἁμαρτημάτων ἀνάλυσιν; Καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῖ μὲν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τῆς τοῦ Λαζάρου παραβολῆς, εἰσάγων τὸν Ἀβραὰμ λέγοντα πρὸς τὸν πλούσιον, ὅτι Λάζαρος ἀπέλαβεν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ κακὰ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὧδε παρακαλεῖται. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος Κορινθίοις ἐπιστέλλων περὶ τοῦ πεπορνευκότος, καὶ λέγων οὕτω· Παράδοτε τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκὸς, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ. Καὶ ἑτέρους δὲ ἡμαρτηκότας παραμυθούμενος οὕτως ἔλεγε· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἄῤῥωστοι, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί. Εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα· κρινόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Κυρίου, παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν. Εἰ δὲ πειρασμὸς, καὶ νόσος, καὶ ἀσθένεια, καὶ σαρκὸς ὄλεθρος, ἅπερ ἀβουλήτως ὑπομένομεν, οὐκ αὐτοὶ κατασκευάζοντες, λογίζεται ἡμῖν εἰς ἁμαρτίας διάλυσιν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον κατορθώματα, ἅπερ ἑκόντες καὶ σπουδάζοντες μετερχόμεθα. Ἀλλ' οὗτος ἔρημος μὲν ἀγαθοῦ παντὸς ἦν, φορτίον δὲ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀφόρητον εἶχε· διὰ τοῦτό φησι· Μὴ ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ ἀποδοῦναι, ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν πραθῆναι· ὅθεν μάλιστα ἔστι τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν καταμαθεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τὸ λογοθέσιον ἐποίησε, καὶ πραθῆναι ἐκέλευσεν· ἀμφότερα γὰρ ταῦτα εἰργάσατο, ὥστε αὐτὸν μὴ πραθῆναι. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους· εἰ γὰρ πραθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐβούλετο, τίς ὁ κωλύων ἦν; τίς ὁ ἐμποδίζων; ςʹ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐκέλευσε, μὴ μέλλων ποιεῖν; Ἵνα αὐξήσῃ τὸν φόβον· τὸν δὲ φόβον ηὔξησε διὰ τῆς ἀπειλῆς, ἵνα αὐτὸν εἰς ἱκετηρίαν ἐμβάλῃ· εἰς ἱκετηρίαν δὲ αὐτὸν ἐνέβαλεν, ἵνα ἀφορμὴν λάβῃ συγχωρήσεως. Ἠδύνατο μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τῆς παρακλήσεως αὐτὸν ἀφεῖναι, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ χείρονα ἐργάσηται, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησεν. Ἠδύνατο καὶ πρὸ τοῦ λογοθεσίου ποιῆσαι τὴν συγχώρησιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τὸν ὄγκον ἀγνοῶν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀπανθρωπότερος γένηται καὶ ὠμότερος περὶ τοὺς πλησίον, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν πρότερον ἐδίδαξε τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ χρέους, καὶ τότε ἀφῆκεν ἅπαν. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦ λογοθεσίου γενομένου, καὶ τοῦ ὀφειλήματος δειχθέντος, καὶ τῆς ἀπειλῆς