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De decem millium talentorum debitore

ON THE PARABLE Of the one who owed ten thousand talents, and demanded the hundred denarii, and that bearing a grudge is worse than any sin.

51.17 1. As one who has returned to you from a long journey, so I feel today; for to those who love, when they are not able to be with those they love, there is no benefit in their presence. For this very reason we too, though present, are no better off than those who are away, since for the past time we were not strong enough to speak with you; but forgive me; for the silence was not from laziness, but from weakness. You, therefore, rejoice now, since I have been freed from sickness; and I rejoice, since I have received your love. For even when I was weak, worse to me than the illness was not being able to take part in this beloved assembly; and now that I have put off my sickness, more desirable to me than health has become the ability to revel in your love with freedom. For a bodily fever is not so accustomed by nature to burn those who have a fever, as being separated from loved ones burns our souls; and just as the former seek bowls and cups and cold springs, so the latter seek the faces of those they long for. Those who are accustomed to love know these things well. Come then, since we have put aside the sickness, let us again take our fill of one another, if it is indeed possible to ever take our fill; for the nature of love knows no satiety, but always enjoying those who are loved, it is raised to a greater flame. And Paul, the nursling of love, knowing this, said: Owe no one anything, except to love one another. For this is the only debt that is always being paid, yet is never paid off. Here, to be perpetually in debt is a good thing and worthy of praise. For in the case of money, we praise those who owe nothing, but in the case of love, we accept and admire those who are perpetually in debt; and what is a sign of ingratitude there, is here a sign of gratitude, never to discharge the debt of love. But do not be vexed at the length of what is about to be said; for I wish to teach you a certain wondrous song, not by handling a lifeless lyre, but by stretching out the histories of the Scriptures and the commandments of God in place of strings. And just as lyre-players, taking the fingers of their students, gently bring them to the notes, and teaching them to pluck with skill, train them to produce from voiceless notes and strings a voice more pleasant and sweeter than any 51.18 voice; so also will we do, handling your mind instead of fingers, and bringing it to the commandments of God, we will exhort your love to touch them with skill, not that you may rouse a theater of men, but the populace of angels through this pleasure. For it is not enough just to go through the divine oracles, but there is need also of the demonstration that comes from works. And just as in the case of the lyre, the skilled artist touches the strings, and the unskilled also touches them, but the one pains the listener, while the other entertains and delights, although the fingers are the same and the strings are the same, yet the skill is not the same; so also in the case of the divine Scriptures, many go through the divine oracles, but not all profit, nor do all bear fruit; and the reason is, that they neither delve deeply into what is said, nor do they touch the lyre with skill; for what skill is in lyre-playing, this, in the case of the laws of God, is the demonstration through works. Already, therefore, we have struck one string throughout the

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De decem millium talentorum debitore

ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΠΑΡΑΒΟΛΗΝ Τοῦ τὰ μύρια τάλαντα ὀφείλοντος, καὶ τὰ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια ἀπαιτοῦντος, καὶ ὅτι παντὸς ἁμαρτήματος τὸ μνησικακεῖν χεῖρον.

51.17 αʹ. Ὡς ἐκ μακρᾶς ἀποδημίας ἐπανελθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, οὕτω διάκειμαι τήμερον· τοῖς γὰρ φιλοῦσιν, ὅταν μὴ δύνωνται συγγενέσθαι τοῖς φιλουμένοις, οὐδὲν ὄφελός ἐστι τῆς παρουσίας. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐνδημοῦντες, τῶν ἀποδημούντων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμεθα, ἐπειδὴ τὸν παρελθόντα χρόνον διαλεχθῆναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἰσχύσαμεν· ἀλλὰ σύγγνωτε· οὐδὲ γὰρ ῥᾳθυμίας, ἀλλὰ ἀσθενείας ἦν ἡ σιγή. Ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν χαίρετε νῦν, ἐπειδὴ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπηλλάγημεν· ἐγὼ δὲ χαίρω, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀπέλαβον ἀγάπην. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡνίκα ἠσθένουν, τῆς νόσου μοι χαλεπώτερον ἦν τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ τούτου μετέχειν συλλόγου· καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν ἀπεθέμην, τῆς ὑγιείας μοι ποθεινότερον γέγονε τὸ μετὰ ἀδείας ἔχειν ἐντρυφᾷν ὑμῶν τῇ ἀγάπῃ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω πυρετὸς σώματος φύσει κατακαίειν εἴωθε τοὺς πυρέττοντας, ὡς τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχὰς τὸ κεχωρίσθαι τῶν φιλουμένων· καὶ καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι φιάλας καὶ ποτήρια καὶ ψυχρὰ νάματα ἐπιζητοῦσιν, οὕτως οὗτοι τῶν ποθουμένων τὰς ὄψεις. Ἴσασι ταῦτα καλῶς ὅσοι φιλεῖν εἰώθασι. Φέρε οὖν, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν ἀπεθέμεθα, πάλιν ἀλλήλων ἐμφορηθῶμεν, εἴγε δυνατὸν ἐμφορηθῆναί ποτε· ἡ γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης φύσις κόρον οὐκ οἶδεν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τῶν ἀγαπωμένων ἀπολαύουσα, πρὸς μείζονα αἴρεται φλόγα. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ τῆς ἀγάπης τρόφιμος Παῦλος εἰδὼς ἔλεγε· Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν ἀλλήλους. Τοῦτο γὰρ μόνον τὸ ὄφλημα ἀεὶ μὲν καταβάλλεται, οὐδέποτε δὲ ἀποδίδοται. Ἐνταῦθα τὸ διηνεκῶς ὀφείλειν καλὸν καὶ ἐπαίνων ἄξιον. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν χρημάτων τοὺς μηδὲν ὀφείλοντας ἐπαινοῦμεν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀγάπης τοὺς διηνεκῶς ὀφείλοντας ἀποδεχόμεθα καὶ θαυμάζομεν· καὶ ὅπερ ἀγνωμοσύνης ἐκεῖ, τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα εὐγνωμοσύνης σημεῖόν ἐστι, τὸ μηδέποτε διαλύεσθαι τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ὄφλημα. Μὴ δυσχεράνητε δὲ πρὸς τὸ μῆκος τῶν μελλόντων ῥηθήσεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ κιθαρῳδίαν ὑμᾶς τινα θαυμαστὴν διδάξαι βούλομαι, οὐχὶ λύραν νεκρὰν μεταχειρισάμενος, ἀλλὰ τὰς τῶν Γραφῶν ἱστορίας καὶ τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολὰς ἀντὶ νευρῶν ἀνατείνας. Καὶ καθάπερ κιθαρῳδοὶ τοὺς δακτύλους τῶν μαθητευομένων λαμβάνοντες, ἠρέμα τοῖς φθόγγοις προσάγουσι, καὶ διαψηλαφᾷν μετ' ἐμπειρίας διδάσκοντες, ἐκ τῶν ἀφώνων φθόγγων τε καὶ νευρῶν πάσης φωνῆς ἡδίω καὶ γλυκυτέραν παιδεύουσι κατασκευά 51.18 ζειν φωνήν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιήσομεν, ἀντὶ δακτύλων τὴν διάνοιαν ὑμῶν μεταχειρισάμενοι, καὶ ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ προσαγαγόντες, μετ' ἐμπειρίας αὐτῶν ἅπτεσθαι παρακαλέσομεν τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην, οὐχ ἵνα ἀνθρώπων θέατρον, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῶν ἀγγέλων τὸν δῆμον διὰ ταύτης τῆς ἡδονῆς ἀναστήσητε. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὰ θεῖα λόγια ἐπελθεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιδείξεως. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθάρας ἅπτεται μὲν ὁ τεχνίτης τῶν νευρῶν, ἅπτεται δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄτεχνος, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν λυπεῖ τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ὁ δὲ ψυχαγωγεῖ καὶ τέρπει, καίτοι γε οἱ αὐτοὶ δάκτυλοι καὶ αἱ αὐταὶ νευραὶ, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ αὐτὴ ἐμπειρία· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, ἐπέρχονται μὲν πολλοὶ τὰ θεῖα λόγια, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες κερδαίνουσιν, οὐδὲ καρποῦνται πάντες· τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ἐπειδὴ μήτε τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐμβαθύνουσι, μήτε μετὰ τέχνης τῆς κιθάρας ἅπτονται· ὅπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθαρῳδίας ἡ τέχνη, τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμων ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξις. Ἤδη μὲν οὖν μίαν ἐκρούσαμεν νευρὰν δι' ὅλης τῆς