they will convict the disobedient Jews, but they themselves will be shining in honor and glory, while the others are in utmost disgrace and dejection. Therefore, in order to indicate each of these things, to the one he joined thrones and seats and judgment, while the others he pushed into the place of those who stand by and are judged; for through each of these things the honor and glory and splendor of the one group is signified, while the opposite is signified for the other. 80 Mt 20, 1 16 Since the parable, even if it signifies the reward from there, nevertheless was spoken for the correction and salvation of those in the present life, for this reason he weaves it and works it out in a more human way: a vineyard and laborers and a calling and a reckoning and an agreement, and then also a steward and the steward's payment of wages, and then also grumbling and the master's justification to them and rebuke; for none of these things is from there, nor is there payment of wages by a steward; for the master himself gives to each one; nor grumbling; for there is not even a remnant of envy there at all; nor indeed the things that follow, a master's justification to them or rebuke; but he made use of these things from the things that often happen to those hired here, in which there is also envy and grumbling and similar things, making the meaning of the parable easier to learn and clearer from things known to us. 81 Mt ,20 23 The mother and the sons approached Jesus seeking the seats of honor on the right and on the left, thinking that his kingdom was already at hand because he was also hurrying to Jerusalem. But Jesus, correcting their error and teaching them not to desire the first places, said to them: You do not know what you are asking, supposing that my kingdom is at hand and is already drawing near and that for this reason we are going up to Jerusalem; for these things are so far from being at hand now, that I am now coming to a cross and death; for my cup and the baptism with which I am baptized signify this. These things therefore are present now, for these things I am hastening. If therefore you have a desire and an ambition to share and partake in that for which I am now come, you should have asked not for thrones and seats and places of honor, but for a cross and death; for these are the things which I am now about to undertake. Therefore you do not know what you are asking; for the reasonable request now is a cross and death. For are you able, he says, to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? Then when they, even to these things, in the hope of obtaining their request, said that they were ready (for indeed: we are able, they say, and we will not shrink even from these things, if only we obtain what we have asked; for they were strongly possessed by the love of being first), again the master says to them: The cup and so forth, that is, what I am about to suffer, you also will succeed in suffering in your own time. But seats and places of honor and thrones are not in my kingdom. And even if they were, they would not be given to those who love to be first and ask for them, but to those who have prepared themselves to be worthy; for even if these are not the things given to some there, but there are other things, which eye has not seen, yet nevertheless not even these are given to those who simply ask, but to those who along with their asking also bring the accomplishments of virtues. 82 Mt 20, 23 But by saying "but for whom it has been prepared" and not adding "for others," he made the enjoyment common and did not exclude even them from it. For whom it has been prepared, for you also, he says, it will be, if you make yourselves worthy of the gift; for even if the prizes are not thrones and seats, but what eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man is laid up for those who have competed well. 83 Mt 21, 44 And on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder; for having fallen upon death in the flesh and been covered by the tomb, it crushed its strength and destroyed the tyranny of Hades and emptied his kingdom of all who were held captive, raising up with himself all the dead who had been held captive from of old. 84 Mt 23, 2 5 That they bind heavy burdens and hard to bear, the master does not say simply, that they are heavy and
ἀπειθήσαντας ἐλέγξουσιν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐν τιμῇ διαλάμποντες καὶ δόξῃ, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐν ἀδοξίᾳ ἐσχάτῃ καὶ κατηφείᾳ. ἵνα οὖν ἑκάτερον τούτων παραδηλώσῃ, τοῖς μὲν θρόνους καὶ καθέδρας καὶ κρίσιν συνέζευξεν, τοὺς δὲ εἰς τὴν τῶν παρεστηκότων καὶ κρινομένων χώραν ὤθησεν· διὰ γὰρ ἑκατέρου τούτων τῶν μὲν ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ λαμπρότης, τῶν δὲ σημαίνεται τἀναντία. 80 Mt 20, 1 16 Ἐπειδὴ ἡ παραβολή, εἰ καὶ τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν τὴν ἐκεῖθεν δηλοῖ, ὅμως πρὸς σωφρονισμὸν καὶ σωτηρίαν τῶν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ εἴρηται, διὰ τοῦτο ἀνθρωπινώτερον αὐτὴν ἐξυφαίνει καὶ ἐπεξεργάζεται ἀμπελῶνα καὶ ἐργάτας καὶ κλῆσιν καὶ ἀπολογίαν καὶ συμφωνίαν, εἶτα δὲ καὶ ἐπίτροπον καὶ τοῦ ἐπιτρόπου μισθαποδοσίαν, εἶτα καὶ διαγογγυσμὸν καὶ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου πρὸς αὐτοὺς δικαιολογίαν καὶ ἐπιτίμησιν· τούτων μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν οὐδέν ἐστιν οὐδὲ παρ' ἐπιτρόπου μισθαποδοσία· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἑκάστῳ ὁ δεσπότης ἀποδίδωσιν· οὐδὲ διαγογγυσμός· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅλως ἐκεῖ φθόνου λείψανον· οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὰ ἐφ' ἑξῆς, δικαιολογία πρὸς αὐτοὺς δεσποτικὴ ἢ ἐπιτίμησις· συνεχρήσατο δὲ τούτοις ἀπὸ τῶν συμβαινόντων πολλάκις τοῖς ἐνταῦθα μισθουμένοις, ἐν οἷς καὶ φθόνος καὶ γογγυσμὸς καὶ τὰ ὅμοια, ἀπὸ τῶν ἡμῖν ἐγνωσμένων εὐμαθεστέραν καὶ σαφεστέραν ποιῶν τὴν ἔννοιαν τῆς παραβολῆς. 81 Mt ,20 23 Ἡ μὲν μήτηρ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ προσῆλθον τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων ζητοῦντες προεδρίαν νομίζοντες ἤδη τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ παρεῖναι διὰ τὸ καὶ εἰς τὰ Ἰεροσόλυμα αὐτὸν ἐπείγεσθαι. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πλάνην αὐτῶν διορθούμενος καὶ τῶν πρωτείων μὴ ἐρᾶν ἐκπαιδεύων εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε ὑπονοοῦντες πρὸς καιρὸν εἶναι καὶ ἐγγίζειν ἤδη τὴν ἐμὴν βασιλείαν καὶ ὅτι ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα· τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἀπέχει τὸ ταῦτα ἤδη παρεῖναι, ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ σταυρὸν καὶ θάνατον νῦν παραγίνομαι· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ ποτήριόν μου καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα, ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι. ταῦτα οὖν ἐνέστηκε νῦν, πρὸς ταῦτα ἐπείγομαι. ἐὰν οὖν πρὸς ὃ νυνὶ παραγίνομαι τούτου συμμετέχειν καὶ συναπολαύειν ἔρως ὑμῖν καὶ φιλοτιμία, οὐχὶ θρόνους καὶ καθέδρας καὶ προεδρίαν, ἀλλὰ σταυρὸν καὶ θάνατον ἐχρῆν ἐξαιτεῖσθαι· ταῦτα γάρ ἐστιν, ἃ μέλλω νῦν ἀναδέχεσθαι. διὸ οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε· ἡ γὰρ κατὰ λόγον αἴτησις νῦν σταυρὸς καὶ θάνατός ἐστιν. δύνασθε γάρ, φησίν, τὸ ποτήριον πιεῖν, ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθῆναι; εἶτα τῶν δὲ καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα ἐλπίδι τοῦ τυχεῖν τῆς αἰτήσεως εἰπόντων ἑτοίμους εἶναι (καὶ γάρ· δυνάμεθα, φασίν, καὶ οὐδὲ τούτων ἀποπηδῶμεν, ἂν μόνον ἡμῖν περιγένηται, ὃ ᾐτησάμεθα· σφόδρα γὰρ κατείχοντο τῇ φιλοπρωτείᾳ) καὶ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτούς φησιν ὁ δεσπότης· τὸ μὲν ποτήριον καὶ ἑξῆς, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἂν μὲν ἐγὼ πάσχειν μέλλω, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν οἰκείῳ καιρῷ παθεῖν κατορθώσετε. καθέδραι δὲ καὶ προεδρίαι καὶ θρόνοι οὔκ εἰσιν ἐν τῇ ἐμῇ βασιλείᾳ. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἦν, οὐκ ἂν τοῖς φιλοπρωτοῦσιν καὶ ἐξαιτουμένοις ἐδίδοτο, ἀλλὰ τοῖς παρασκευάσασιν ἀξίους ἑαυτούς· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ταῦτά ἐστιν ἐκεῖ τισι διδόμενα, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἕτερα, ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν , ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ ταῦτα δίδοται τοῖς ἁπλῶς αἰτοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μετὰ αἰτήσεως καὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐπιφερομένοις τὰ κατορθώματα. 82 Mt 20, 23 Εἰπὼν δὲ ἀλλ' οἷς ἡτοίμασται καὶ οὐ προσθεὶς ἑτέροις κοινὴν ἔθηκεν τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν καὶ οὐδ' αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους ἐξέβαλεν ταύτης. οἷς ἡτοίμασται, καὶ ὑμῖν, φησίν, ἔσται, ἂν ἀξίους τῆς δωρεᾶς ἑαυτοὺς ἀπεργάσησθε· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ θρόνοι καὶ καθέδραι τὰ ἔπαθλα, ἀλλ' ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἀνέβη τοῖς καλῶς ἀγωνισαμένοις ἀπόκειται. 83 Mt 21, 44 Ἐφ' ὃν δ' ἂν πέσῃ, λικμήσει αὐτόν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον πεσὼν τῇ σαρκὶ καὶ τάφῳ καλυφθεὶς ἐλίκμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τοῦ ᾅδου τὴν τυραννίδα κατέλυσεν καὶ τὰ βασίλεια αὐτοῦ πάντων τῶν κατεχομένων ἐκένωσεν συναναστήσας αὐτῷ τοὺς ἐξ αἰῶνος ἅπαντας κατεχομένους νεκρούς. 84 Mt 23, 2 5 Τὸ δεσμεύουσιν φορτία βαρέα καὶ δυσβάστακτα οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησιν ὁ δεσπότης, ὅτι βαρέα τυγχάνει καὶ