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the loss fell upon him again; for she too was a slave; but out of unspeakable care. For He wants to frighten him through this threat, so that He might bring him to supplication, not so that he might be sold. For if He did this for this reason, He would not have consented to his request, nor would He have given the favor. Why then did He not do this before the reckoning, nor forgive the debt? Wanting to teach him from how many debts He was freeing him, so that at least in this way he might become gentler toward his fellow servant. For if even after learning the amount of the debt and the greatness of the forgiveness, he persisted in choking his fellow servant; if He had not instructed him beforehand with so many remedies, to what lengths of cruelty would he not have gone? What then did that man do? "Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything," he says. And his lord, moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt. Do you see again an excess of loving-kindness? The servant asked only for a delay of time and a postponement; but he gave more than he had asked, a release and forgiveness of the entire debt. For He wanted to give it even from the beginning, but He did not want the gift to be His alone, but also of this man's supplication, so that he might not depart uncrowned. For that the whole thing was His, even if this man fell down and begged, the cause of the forgiveness showed; for being moved with compassion He for 58.593 gave him. But nevertheless, even so He wanted him to seem to contribute something, so that he might not be greatly ashamed; and so that, being taught by his own misfortunes, he might become forgiving to his fellow servant. 4. Up to this point, then, this man was good and well-pleasing; for he both confessed, and promised to pay the debt, and fell down, and begged, and condemned his own sins, and knew the greatness of the debt. But what came after this was unworthy of what went before. For going out immediately, not after a long time, but immediately, with the good deed still ringing in his ears, he misused the gift for evil, and the freedom granted to him by the master. For having found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred denarii, he began to choke him, saying: "Pay me what you owe." Have you seen the master's loving-kindness? Have you seen the servant's cruelty? Hear, you who do these things for the sake of money. For if one must not do it for sins, much more for money. What then did that one do? "Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything." But he was not even shamed by the words through which he was saved (for he himself, by saying these things, was released from the ten thousand talents); and he did not even recognize the harbor through which he escaped shipwreck; nor did the posture of supplication remind him of the master's loving-kindness; but casting all those things out because of greed and cruelty and resentment, he was more savage than any beast, choking his fellow servant. What are you doing, man? Demanding of yourself; do you not perceive that you are thrusting the sword against yourself, and revoking the sentence and the gift? But he considered none of these things, nor remembered his own situation, nor gave in; and yet the supplication was not for equal amounts. For the one begged for ten thousand talents, the other for a hundred denarii; and the one his fellow servant, the other his master; and the one received complete forgiveness, while the other asked for a delay. And he did not even grant this; for he threw him into prison. But when his fellow servants saw this, they accused him to the master. This was not pleasing even to men, much less to God. Therefore those who did not owe felt compassion. What then did the master do? 'You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me; should not you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I also had mercy on you?' See again the gentleness of the master. He enters into judgment with him and makes His defense, when about to overturn his gift; or rather, it was not He who overturned it, but the one who received it. Therefore He says: 'I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me; should not you also have had mercy on your fellow servant?' For even if the matter seems burdensome to you, yet you ought to have looked to the gain, that which has been, that which will be. Even if the command is grievous, you ought to have considered the prize; not that that man has grieved you, but that you have provoked God, whom from

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αὐτὸν ἡ ζημία περιίστατο πάλιν· δούλη γὰρ ἦν κἀκείνη· ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀφάτου κηδεμονίας. Βούλεται γὰρ αὐτὸν πτοῆσαι διὰ τῆς ἀπειλῆς ταύτης, ἵνα εἰς ἱκετηρίαν ἀγάγῃ, οὐχ ἵνα πραθῇ. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐποίει, οὐκ ἂν ἐπένευσεν αὐτοῦ τῇ αἰτήσει, οὐδ' ἂν τὴν χάριν ἔδωκε. ∆ιατί οὖν πρὸ τοῦ λογοθεσίου τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ ἀφῆκε τὸ ὄφλημα; ∆ιδάξαι βουλόμενος πόσων αὐτὸν ὀφλημάτων ἐλευθεροῖ, ἵνα κἂν ταύτῃ ἡμερώτερος περὶ τὸν σύνδουλον γένηται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μαθὼν τοῦ ὀφλήματος τὸν ὄγκον, καὶ τῆς συγχωρήσεως τὸ μέγεθος, ἐπέμενεν ἄγχων τὸν σύνδουλον· εἰ μὴ τοσούτοις αὐτὸν προεπαίδευσε φαρμάκοις, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἐξῆλθεν ὠμότητος; Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνος; Μακροθύμησον ἐπ' ἐμοὶ, καὶ πάντα σοι ἀποδώσω, φησίν· Ὁ δὲ κύριος αὐτοῦ σπλαγχνισθεὶς, ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸ δάνειον ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ. Εἶδες πάλιν φιλανθρωπίας ὑπερβολήν; Ἀναβολὴν ἐζήτησε μόνον καιροῦ καὶ ὑπέρθεσιν ὁ οἰκέτης· ὁ δὲ μεῖζον ἢ ᾔτησεν ἔδωκεν, ἄφεσιν ὁλοκλήρου τοῦ δανείσματος καὶ συγχώρησιν. Ἐβούλετο μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς δοῦναι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐβούλετο αὐτοῦ εἶναι τὸ δῶρον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς τούτου ἱκετηρίας, ἵνα μὴ ἀστεφάνωτος ἀπέλθῃ. Ὅτι γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἦν, εἰ καὶ προσέπεσεν οὗτος καὶ ἐδεήθη, ἡ αἰτία τῆς συγχωρήσεως ἐδήλωσε· Σπλαγχνισθεὶς γὰρ ἀφ 58.593 ῆκεν αὐτῷ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτως ἐβούλετο κἀκεῖνόν τι δοκεῖν συνεισφέρειν, ἵνα μὴ σφόδρα ᾖ κατῃσχυμμένος· καὶ ἵνα παιδευθεὶς ἐν ταῖς οἰκείαις συμφοραῖς συγγνωμονικὸς γένηται τῷ συνδούλῳ. δʹ. Μέχρι μὲν οὖν τούτου καλὸς οὗτος καὶ εὐάρεστος· καὶ γὰρ ὡμολόγησε, καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο ἀποδώσειν τὸ ὄφλημα, καὶ προσέπεσε, καὶ παρεκάλεσε, καὶ κατέγνω τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ ἔγνω τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ ὀφλήματος. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀνάξια τῶν προτέρων. Ἐξελθὼν γὰρ εὐθέως, οὐδὲ μετὰ χρόνον πολὺν, ἀλλ' εὐθέως, ἔναυλον ἔχων τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, εἰς κακίαν ἀπεχρήσατο τῇ δωρεᾷ, καὶ τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ τῇ παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου αὐτῷ παρασχεθείσῃ. Εὑρὼν γὰρ ἕνα τῶν συνδούλων αὐτοῦ, ὀφείλοντα αὐτῷ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια, ἔπνιγεν αὐτὸν λέγων· Ἀπόδος μοι εἴ τι ὀφείλεις. Εἶδες δεσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν; εἶδες δούλου ὠμότητα; Ἀκούσατε, οἱ ὑπὲρ χρημάτων ταῦτα ποιοῦντες. Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτημάτων οὐ χρὴ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ χρημάτων. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνος; Μακροθύμησον ἐπ' ἐμοὶ, καὶ πάντα σοι ἀποδώσω. Ὁ δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ ῥήματα ᾐδέσθη, δι' ὧν ἐσώθη (καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ταῦτα εἰπὼν, ἀπηλλάγη τῶν μυρίων ταλάντων)· καὶ οὐδὲ τὸν λιμένα ἐπέγνω, δι' οὗ τὸ ναυάγιον διέφυγεν· οὐ τὸ σχῆμα τῆς ἱκετηρίας ἀνέμνησεν αὐτὸν τῆς τοῦ δεσπότου φιλανθρωπίας· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκεῖνα ὑπὸ τῆς πλεονεξίας καὶ τῆς ὠμότητος καὶ τῆς μνησικακίας ἐκβαλὼν, θηρίου παντὸς χαλεπώτερος ἦν, ἄγχων τὸν σύνδουλον. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; σεαυτὸν ἀπαιτῶν· οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ κατὰ σεαυτοῦ τὸ ξίφος ὠθῶν, καὶ τὴν ἀπόφασιν καὶ τὴν δωρεὰν ἀνακαλούμενος; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων ἐνενόησεν, οὐδὲ ἐμνήσθη τῶν αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐνέδωκε· καίτοιγε οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἴσων ἡ ἱκετηρία. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ μυρίων ταλάντων, ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ ἑκατὸν δηναρίων παρεκάλει· καὶ ὁ μὲν τὸν σύνδουλον, ὁ δὲ τὸν δεσπότην· καὶ ὁ μὲν τελείαν συγχώρησιν ἔλαβεν, ὁ δὲ ἀναβολὴν ᾔτει. Καὶ οὐδὲ ταύτην αὐτὸς ἐδίδου· Ἔβαλε γὰρ αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακήν. Ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ σύνδουλοι αὐτοῦ, κατηγόρησαν αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην. Οὐδὲ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀρεστὸν ἦν, μήτιγε Θεῷ. Συνήλγησαν οὖν οἱ μὴ ὀφείλοντες. Τί οὖν ὁ δεσπότης; Πονηρὲ δοῦλε, πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἐκείνην ἀφῆκά σοι, ἐπεὶ παρεκάλεσάς με· οὐκ ἔδει καὶ σὲ ἐλεῆσαι τὸν σύνδουλόν σου, ὡς καὶ ἐγώ σε ἠλέησα; Ὅρα πάλιν τὴν ἡμερότητα τοῦ δεσπότου. Κρίνεται πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπολογεῖται, μέλλων ἀνατρέπειν αὐτοῦ τὴν δωρεάν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ αὐτὸς ἀνέτρεψεν, ἀλλ' ὁ λαβών. ∆ιό φησι· Πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἐκείνην ἀφῆκά σοι, ἐπεὶ παρεκάλεσάς με· οὐκ ἔδει καὶ σὲ ἐλεῆσαι τὸν σύνδουλόν σου; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ βαρύ σοι τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' ἔδει καὶ πρὸς τὸ κέρδος ἰδεῖν, τὸ γεγενημένον, τὸ ἐσόμενον. Εἰ καὶ ἐπαχθὲς τὸ ἐπίταγμα, τὸ ἔπαθλον ἐννοῆσαι ἔδει· μηδὲ ὅτι λελύπηκεν ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' ὅτι σὺ Θεὸν παρώξυνας, ὃν ἀπὸ