John Chrysostom, On the Debtor of Ten Thousand Talents

No one sinned so much as this man; for indeed he went through every form of wickedness; and this the ten thousand talents shows; no one was so destitute as this man; for this the not having wherewith to pay shows. But nevertheless the power of prayer was strong enough to snatch away him who was on every side betrayed. And does prayer, he says, have such power as to release from chastisement and punishment one who through works and countless deeds had offended the Master? Yes, O man, it has such power. For it is not this alone which accomplishes everything, but it has as a very great ally and helper the loving-kindness of God who receives the prayer, which in this case did everything, and made the prayer powerful. Indeed, hinting at this He said: And his lord was moved with compassion, and released him, and forgave him the debt; so that you might learn that with the prayer, and before the prayer, the Master’s compassion did everything. But that man went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying: Pay me what you owe. What could be more detestable than this? Having the benefit still fresh, he forgot the loving-kindness of the Master. 7. Do you see how great a good it is to be mindful of sins? For this man, if he had been continually mindful of these things, would not have become so savage and inhuman. For this reason I say continually, and I will not cease saying, that it is exceedingly useful and necessary for us to continually remember all our transgressions; for nothing is able to make the soul so philosophical and gentle and meek, as the continual remembrance of sins. For this reason Paul was mindful not only of the sins after the washing, but also of those before baptism, although they were completely wiped away. But if he was mindful of those before baptism, much more must we be mindful of those after baptism; for not only do we dissolve them by memory, but we shall also be disposed more gently toward all men, and we shall serve God with greater goodwill, learning his ineffable loving-kindness from the memory of these things. Which this man did not do, but forgetting the magnitude of the debts, he also forgot the benefit; and having forgotten the benefit, he became wicked toward his fellow servant, and through his wickedness to that man, he lost everything which he had gained from the loving-kindness of God. For laying hands on him, he took him by the throat, saying: Pay me what you owe. He did not say, Pay me the hundred denarii; for he was ashamed of the paltriness of the debt; but, Pay what you owe. But he fell down at his feet, and besought 51.28 him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Through the words by which that one found forgiveness, through these this man also asks to be saved. But he, because of his excessive cruelty, was not swayed even by these words, nor did he consider that he himself was saved through these words. And yet even if he had forgiven, the act would no longer have been one of loving-kindness, but a duty and a debt. For if, before the reckoning took place, and that sentence was passed, and he had enjoyed so great a benefit, he had done this, the deed would have been one of his own magnanimity; but now after so great a gift and the forgiveness of so many sins, he was henceforth responsible for forbearance toward his fellow servant as for a necessary debt. But nevertheless he did not do even this, nor did he consider how great was the difference between the forgiveness which he himself enjoyed, and that which he was about to show to his fellow servant; for one could see a great difference not only in the quantity of the debts, nor in the dignity of the persons, but also in the very manner. For that was ten thousand talents, but this was a hundred denarii; and this man had offended his master, but the one who owed him, his fellow servant; and

Οὐδεὶς τοσαῦτα ἥμαρτεν, ὅσα οὗτος· καὶ γὰρ ἅπαν εἶδος πονηρίας ἐπῆλθε· καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῖ τὰ μύρια τάλαντα· οὐδεὶς ἔρημος οὕτως ἦν, ὡς οὗτος· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτὸν ἀποτῖσαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸν πάντοθεν προδοθέντα ἴσχυσεν εὐχῆς ἐξαρπάσαι δύναμις. Καὶ τοσοῦτον δύναται, φησὶν, εὐχὴ, ὡς τὸν δι' ἔργων καὶ μυρίων πραγμάτων προσκρούσαντα τῷ ∆εσπότῃ ἀπαλλάξαι κολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας; Ναὶ, τοσοῦτον δύναται, ἄνθρωπε. Οὐδὲ γὰρ αὕτη μόνη ἐστὶν ἡ τὸ πᾶν ἀνύουσα, ἀλλ' ἔχει σύμμαχον καὶ βοηθὸν μέγιστον τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ δεχομένου τὴν εὐχὴν Θεοῦ, ἥτις ἐνταῦθα τὸ πᾶν εἰργάσατο, καὶ τὴν εὐχὴν ἐποίησε δυνατήν. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγε· Σπλαγχνισθεὶς ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ, ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸ δάνειον ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ· ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι μετὰ τῆς εὐχῆς, καὶ πρὸ τῆς εὐχῆς, τοῦ δεσπότου τὰ σπλάγχνα τὸ πᾶν ἐποίησεν. Ἐξελθὼν δὲ ἐκεῖνος εὗρεν ἕνα τῶν συνδούλων αὑτοῦ, ὃς ὤφειλεν αὐτῷ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια· καὶ κρατήσας αὐτὸν ἔπνιγε, λέγων· Ἀπόδος μοι, εἴ τι ὀφείλεις. Ἆρα τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν μιαρώτερον; Ἔναυλον ἔχων τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, ἐπελήσθη τῆς τοῦ δεσπότου φιλανθρωπίας. ζʹ. Ὁρᾷς ὅσον ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν ἁμαρτημάτων μεμνῆσθαι; Καὶ γὰρ οὗτος, εἰ διηνεκῶς τούτων ἐμέμνητο, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως ἄγριος ἐγένετο καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, ὅτι χρήσιμον σφόδρα καὶ ἀναγκαῖον τὸ διηνεκῶς μνημονεύειν ἡμᾶς τῶν πεπλημμελημένων ἡμῖν ἁπάντων· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω φιλόσοφον καὶ ἐπιεικῆ καὶ πρᾶον τὴν ψυχὴν ἐργάσασθαι δύναται, ὡς ἡ διηνεκὴς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μνήμη. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος οὐ μόνον τῶν μετὰ τὸ λουτρὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πρὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἁμαρτημάτων ἐμέμνητο, καίτοι γε ἀφανισθέντων καθάπαξ. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος τῶν πρὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἐμέμνητο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τῶν μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα μεμνῆσθαι δεῖ· οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον αὐτὰ διαλύομεν τῇ μνήμῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους ἐπιεικέστερον διακεισόμεθα, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ μετὰ πλείονος δουλεύσομεν τῆς εὐνοίας, τὴν ἄφατον αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐκ τῆς τούτων μνήμης καταμανθάνοντες. Ὅπερ οὗτος οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ἐπιλαθόμενος τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν ὀφλημάτων, καὶ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἐπελάθετο· τῆς δὲ εὐεργεσίας ἐπιλαθόμενος, πονηρὸς περὶ τὸν σύνδουλον ἐγένετο, καὶ διὰ τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον πονηρίας ἅπαντα, ἅπερ ἐκέρδανεν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας, ἀπώλεσε. Κρατήσας γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔπνιγε λέγων· Ἀπόδος μοι, εἴ τι ὀφείλεις. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπόδος μοι τὰ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια· ᾐσχύνετο γὰρ τοῦ χρέους τὴν εὐτέλειαν· ἀλλ', Ἀπόδος, εἴ τι ὀφείλεις. Ὁ δὲ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, παρεκάλει 51.28 αὐτὸν, λέγων· Μακροθύμησον ἐπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ πάντα σοι ἀποδώσω. ∆ιὰ τῶν ῥημάτων, δι' ὧν ἐκεῖνος εὕρετο τὴν συγχώρησιν, διὰ τούτων καὶ οὗτος ἀξιοῖ σωθῆναι. Ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἄγαν ὠμότητος οὐδὲ τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις κατεκάμπτετο, οὐδὲ ἐνενόησεν, ὅτι διὰ τούτων ἐσώθη τῶν ῥημάτων. Καίτοι γε καὶ εἰ συνεχώρησεν, οὐδὲ οὕτω φιλανθρωπία τὸ πρᾶγμα λοιπὸν ἦν, ἀλλ' ὀφειλὴ καὶ χρέος. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ, πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι τὸ λογοθέσιον, καὶ τὴν ψῆφον ἐξενεχθῆναι ἐκείνην, καὶ τοσαύτης ἀπολαῦσαι εὐεργεσίας, τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, οἰκείας μεγαλοψυχίας ἦν τὸ γινόμενον· νυνὶ δὲ μετὰ τοσαύτην δωρεὰν καὶ τοσούτων ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσιν, ὥσπερ ἀναγκαίου τινὸς ὀφλήματος λοιπὸν ὑπεύθυνος ἦν τῆς περὶ τὸν σύνδουλον ἀνεξικακίας. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ ἐνενόησεν ὅσον τὸ μέσον ἦν τῆς ἀφέσεως, ἧς τε αὐτὸς ἀπήλαυσε, καὶ ἣν περὶ τὸν σύνδουλον ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ἔμελλεν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῇ ποσότητι τῶν ὀφλημάτων, οὐδὲ τῷ ἀξιώματι τῶν προσώπων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ τρόπῳ πολλὴν τὴν διαφορὰν ἴδοι τις ἄν. Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ μύρια τάλαντα ἦν, ταῦτα δὲ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια· καὶ οὗτος μὲν εἰς τὸν δεσπότην ὕβρισεν, ὁ δὲ ὀφείλων αὐτῷ εἰς τὸν σύνδουλον· καὶ