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20. Parables according to Luke. Luke mentioned so many parables: Of the one who laid a secure foundation upon the rock And of the one who received more good, and who loved more; then of the seed that fell on four kinds of soil; then of the traveler who fell among robbers. Then one who came to the door at an untimely hour asks, and does not receive evil things. Then an unclean spirit takes up residence with seven others. And someone rejoices in vain with hopes of fruits, not knowing where he will end up. 498 One must be watchful for Christ coming from the wedding, and one must serve well. To help the barren fig tree with dung. Mustard seed, and leaven, and the poor at the wedding feast. And joy at the finding of the drachma, and of the sheep. And the father of the sons sympathetic to the fallen one. Then a steward forgives some of the debts, stealing prudently. Lazarus and the rich man. From there the persistent demand of the widow. Then again the tax collector, and the pride of the Pharisee. And the division of the minas, equal in number to the ten. The wicked tenants and murderers of the master. 27. Parables of the four evangelists. I fear lest the foundation of my life on the sands 499 Being laid, I be scattered by rivers and winds, Or like a seed going upon dry and barren ground, I might spring up quickly, but very quickly become withered, Struck by the rays of the sun, and by small troubles; Or birds might eat me, and thorns choke me. And let not the sower of evils and the malicious enemy mix in bad seed of tares for me while I sleep. Lest, putting my hand to the plants while they are green, to the good and the bad, before they have stood in ears of corn, I might destroy the good plant along with the tares. For few can lay a prudent hand on such things, where virtue and vice dwell apart, they have become neighbors, and evil rises up with the good. I praise the small seed of mustard, how though it is small, it quickly becomes a tree, and travels to such a height, 500 So as to be a shelter for the birds of the air. O precious and glorious pearl, desiring your beauty, may I become a great merchant, of all that I have down to my last tunic. May I receive the beloved possession for a price, so that I might surpass all in wealth, having acquired it alone, apart from others, or the treasure hidden in the corners of a field! And I know also the world falling into the dragnet, which the fishers of men, serving the commands of Christ the King, cast their net around, so that they may draw them out from the depths of the sea, and give to Christ those swimming in the bitter waves of this life. But whenever you judge the catch, and cut it in two, do not cast me far away, like a useless fish; 501 But place me among the angels, to be kept for the King. And to the great, beautiful, flourishing threshing-floor of God, I went in the morning, and endured more labor; But may I have a wage equal to the last, and glory. What envy, if God matches desire with labors? A father sent his sons into the vineyard, that they might tend it, the one first, then the other; the one indeed readily accepted, but he did not fulfill his father's desire, as he undertook. But the younger did not accept, and yet fulfilled the command. Better to me, and sweeter to the parent of both, is he who accepted and fulfilled the desire. And may they destroy the heir, as many as are of fire, outside the threshing-floor. There is a wedding feast, which a good, kind father prepares for his best son, laughing aloud; may I meet with it, 502 May I meet with it, and he who is a friend to me! But let that man remain outside, who puts before the wedding feast either a field, or a new yoke of oxen, or a wife. Nor, being among the banqueters who have the appearance of wedding guests, having filthy garments, bound hand and foot, may I be cast far from the bridal chamber and the wedding and friends. And when the ten pure virgins with burning torches, watching with sleepless lights, await the desirable Bridegroom, God the King, So that they, bright and shining, may go to meet him as he comes, Do not place me among those who are empty-minded and foolish, Toiling when Christ is already about to be present, Nor the feeble gleam of the torches to my eyes

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Κʹ. Παραβολαὶ κατὰ Λουκᾶν. Παροιμιῶν δὲ Λουκᾶς ἐμνήσθη τόσων· Τοῦ θέντος ἕδραν ἀσφαλῆ πέτρης ὕπερ Καὶ τοῦ παθόντος εὖ πλέον, καὶ τῷ πλέον Στέργοντος· εἶτα τοῦ σπόρου εἰς τέσσαρας Φύσεις πεσόντος γῆς· ἔπειθ' ὁδοιπόρου Λῃσταῖς πεσόντος. Εἶτ' ἀωρὶ πρὸς θύρας Ἐλθών τις αἰτεῖ, κ' οὐ πονηρὰ λαμβάνει. Ἀκάθαρτον εἶτα πνεῦμα δ' εἰσοικίζεται Ἑπτὰ ξὺν ἄλλοις. Καὶ μάτην τις ἐλπίσι Καρπῶν γέγηθεν, ἀγνοῶν οἷ στήσεται. 498 Ἐκ τῶν γάμων δ' ἥκοντι γρηγορητέον Χριστῷ, καλῶς τε τῇ θεραπείᾳ χρηστέον. Συκῆν τ' ἄκαρπον ταῖς κόπροις ἐπωφελεῖν. Νάπυ, ζύμη τε, καὶ πένητες ἐν γάμῳ. Χαρά τε δραχμῆς εὑρέσει, καὶ θρέμματος. Πατήρ τε παίδων τῷ πεσόντι συμπαθής. Εἶτ' οἰκονόμος τι τῶν χρεῶν χαρίζεται Κλέπτων προμηθῶς. Λάζαρος καὶ πλούσιος. Ἐκεῖθε χήρας ἀξίωσις εὔτονος. Εἶτ' αὖ Τελώνης, καὶ Φαρισσαίου τύφος. Καὶ μνῶν μερισμὸς, ἰσάριθμος τοῖς δέκα. Κακοὶ γεωργοὶ καὶ φονεῖς τοῦ δεσπότου. ΚΖʹ. Παραβολαὶ τῶν τεσσάρων εὐαγγελιστῶν. ∆είδω μὴ βιότοιο θεμείλιον ἐν ψαμάθοισι 499 Βαλλόμενος, ποταμοῖσι καὶ εἰν ἀνέμοισι κεδασθῶ, Ἢ σπόρος ὡς ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἰὼν ξηρὴν καὶ ἄκαρπον, Ὦκα μὲν ἀντείλαιμι, τάχιστα δὲ αὖος ἔοιμι, Ἠελίοιο βολῇσι τυπεὶς, καὶ πήμασι τυτθοῖς· Ἤ με φάγοι πετεηνὰ, καὶ ἐκθλίψειαν ἄκανθαι. Μὴ δέ μοι ὑπνώοντι κακὸν σπόρον ἐγκαταμίξῃ Ζιζανίων ἀρότης τε κακῶν, καὶ βάσκανος ἐχθρός. Μὴ δ' ἄρ' ὁμοῦ χλοάουσι βαλὼν ἐπὶ χεῖρα φυτοῖσιν Ἐσθλοῖς ἠδὲ κακοῖσι, πρὶν ἐν σταχύεσσι σταθῆναι, Σύν που ζιζανίοισι καλὸν φυτὸν ἐξολέσαιμι. Παύρων γὰρ τοιοῖσδε νοήμονα χεῖρ' ἐπιθεῖναι, Ἔνθ' ἀρετὴ κακίη τε διάνδιχα ναιετάουσαι, Ἀγχίθυροι γεγάασι, κακὸν δ' ἐπιτέλλεται ἐσθλῷ. Αἰνῶ τὸν ὀλίγον νάπυος σπόρον, ὡς ὀλίγος μὲν, ∆ενδροῦται δὲ τάχιστα, καὶ ἐς τόσον ὕψος ὁδεύει, 500 Ὥστε καὶ ὀρνίθεσσι πέλειν σκέπας ἠερίοισι. Μάργαρε τιμήει καὶ κύδιμε, σοῦ δ' ἄρ' ἔγωγε Κάλλεος ἱμείρων, μέγας ἔμπορος αἴθε γενοίμην, Πάντων δ' ὅσσα μοί ἐστι μέχρις πυμάτοιο χιτῶνος. Ὤνιον ἀντιλάβοιμι φίλον κτέαρ, ὥς κεν ἅπαντας Πλούτῳ νηκήσαιμι, πεπασμένος οἶον ἀπ' ἄλλων, Ἢ θησαυρὸν ἀγροῖο μυχοῖς ἔνι κρυπτὸν ἐόντα! Οἶδα δ' ἐγὼ καὶ κόσμον ἔσω πίπτοντα σαγήνης, Ὧ Χριστοῦ βασιλῆος ὑποδρήσσοντες ἐφετμαῖς, Ἀνθρώπων ἀλιῆες ἑὸν λίνον ἀμφὶς ἔθηκαν, Ὡς ἁλὸς ἐξερύσωσι βυθῶν, ὀπάσωσι δὲ Χριστῷ Νηχομένους πικροῖς ἐνὶ κύμασι τοῦδε βίοιο. Ἀλλ' ὁπόταν κρίνῃς ἁλίην, διὰ δ' ἄνδιχα τέμνῃς, Μή μ' ἀπὸ τῆλε βάλοις, ἀχρήϊον οἷά περ ἰχθύν· 501 Ἄγγεσι δ' ἐγκατάθειο φυλασσόμενον βασιλῆϊ. Ἐς μεγάλην δὲ Θεοῖο καλὴν ἐριθηλέ' ἀλωὴν, Ἠῷος μὲν ἔβην, καὶ πλείονα μόχθον ἀνέτλην· Μισθὸν δ' ὑστατίοισιν ἴσον, καὶ κῦδος ἔχοιμι. Τίς φθόνος, εἰ μόχθοισι πόθον Θεὸς ἀντιφερίζει; Πέμπε πατὴρ υἱῆας ἐς ἄμπελον, ὡς κομέοιεν, Τὸν πρότερον, πρότερον· ὁ δ' ἄρα πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο, Οὐ μὴν ἐξετέλεσσε πατρὸς πόθον, ὥσπερ ὑπέστη. Αὐτὰρ ὅγ' οὐχ ὑπέδεκτο, καὶ ἐξετέλεσσεν ἐφετμὴν Ὁπλότερος. Κρείσσων μὲν ἐμοὶ, γλυκίων δὲ τοκῆϊ Ἀμφοτέρων, ὃς ἔδεκτο, καὶ ἐξετέλεσσεν ἐέλδωρ. Κληρονόμον δ' ὀλέσαιεν, ὅσοι πυρὸς, ἐκτὸς ἀλωῆς. Ἔστι γάμος, τὸν παιδὶ πατὴρ φίλος ἐσθλὸς ἀρίστῳ ∆αίνυσι καγχαλόων· τοῦδ' ἀντιάσαιμι ἔγωγε, 502 Τοῦδ' ἐγὼ ἀντιάσαιμι, καὶ ὃς φίλος ἐστὶν ἔμοιγε! Μίμνοι δ' ἔκτοθι κεῖνος, ὅτις πρὸ γάμοιο τίθησιν Ἢ ἀγρὸν, ἠὲ βοῶν ζεῦγος νέον, ἠὲ δάμαρτα. Μηδ' ἐνὶ δαιτυμόνεσσι γαμήλιον εἶδος ἔχουσιν, Εἵματ' ἔχων ῥυπόωντα, δεθεὶς χεῖράς τε πόδας τε, Νυμφῶνός τε γάμου τε, φίλων τ' ἀπὸ τῆλε πέσοιμι. Ἡνίκα δ' αἰθομέναις ἁγνῶν δεκὰς ἐν δαΐδεσσι Παρθένοι ἐγρήσσουσαι, ἀκοιμήτοις φαέεσσι Νυμφίον ἱμερόεντα Θεὸν δοκέωσιν ἄνακτα, Ὡς λαμπραὶ γανόωντι ὑπαντήσωσιν ἰόντι, Μή μ' ἐνὶ ταῖς κενεῇσι νόον, καὶ ἄφροσι θείης, Ἤδη που Χριστοῖο παρεσσομένου μογεούσαις, Μηδ' ὀλιγοδρανέον δαΐδων σέλας ὄμμασι