What then is the object of the parable? Let us
examine the occasion which led to it; for so we shall learn the truth. The
blessed Luke therefore had himself said a little before of Christ the Saviour
of us all, "And all the publicans and sinners drew near unto Him to hear
Him. And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured saying, This man receives sinners
and eats " with them." As therefore the Pharisees and Scribes made
this outcry at His gentleness and love to man, and wickedly and impiously blamed
Him for receiving and teaching men whose lives were impure, Christ very
necessarily set before them the present parable, to show them clearly this very
thing, that the God of all requires even him who is thoroughly steadfast, and
firm, and who knows how to live holily, and has attained to the highest praise
for sobriety of conduct, to be earnest in following His will, so that when any
are called unto repentance, even if they be men highly blameable, he must
rejoice rather, and not give way to an unloving vexation on their account.
For we also sometimes experience something of this
sort. For some there are who live a perfectly honourable and consistent life,
practising every kind of virtuous action, and abstaining from everything
disapproved by the law of God, and crowning themselves with perfect praises in
the sight of God and of men: while another is perhaps weak and trodden down,
and humbled unto every kind of wickedness, guilty of base deeds, loving
impurity, given to covetousness, and stained with all evil. And yet such a one
often in old age turns unto God, and asks the forgiveness of his former
offences: he prays for mercy, and putting away from him his readiness to fall
into sin, sets his affection on virtuous deeds. Or even perhaps when about to
close his mortal life, he is admitted to divine baptism, and puts away his
offences, God being merciful unto him. And perhaps sometimes persons are
indignant at this, and even say, 'This man, who has been guilty of such and
such actions, and has spoken such and such words, has not paid unto the judge
the retribution of his conduct, but has been counted worthy of a grace thus
noble and admirable: he has been inscribed among the sons of God, and honoured
with the glory of the saints.' Such complaints men sometimes give utterance too
from an empty narrowness of mind, not conforming to the purpose of the
universal Father. For He greatly rejoices when He sees those who were lost
obtaining salvation, and raises them up again to that which they were in the
beginning, giving them the dress of freedom, and adorning them with the chief
robe, and putting a ring upon their hand, even the orderly behaviour which is
pleasing to God and suitable to the free.
It is our duty, therefore, to conform ourselves to
that which God wills: for He heals those who are sick; He raises those who are
fallen; He gives a helping hand to those who have stumbled; He brings back him
who has wandered; He forms anew unto a praiseworthy and blameless life those
who were wallowing in the mire of sin; He seeks those who were lost; He raises
as from the dead those who had suffered the spiritual death. Let us also
rejoice: let us, in company with the holy angels, praise Him as being good, and
loving unto men; as gentle, and not remembering evil. For if such is our state
of mind, Christ will receive us, by Whom and with Whom, to God the Father be
praise and dominion with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever, Amen.
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