Pemptousia (GR) · Aug 15 View source View full article on hyper.nooz.ai

Νὰ ἐλεήσουμε, γιὰ νὰ ἐλεηθοῦμε! - Pemptousia

🌐 Quote shown in the original Greek — English translation below

… δὲν μᾶς καταδικάζει ὁ Κύριος﮲ ἐκεῖνο ποὺ μᾶς καταδικάζει εἶναι ἀφ’ ἑνὸς ἡ ἔλλειψη ἀγάπης καὶ ἡ σκληροκαρδία πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφό μας, ἀφ’ ἑτέρου ἡ ἀγνωμοσύνη μας πρὸς τὸν Κύριο τοῦ ἐλέους. Ἐκεῖνος, μέσα ἀπὸ τὸ δικό Του σταυρικὸ παράδειγμα, μᾶς ζητάει νὰ συγχωροῦμε ὄχι τὰ μεγάλα ἁμαρτήματα -μακάρι νὰ τὸ κάναμε!- ἀλλὰ τὰ παραπτώματα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μας «ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ἡμῶν», μὲ ἱλαρότητα καὶ μὲ μακροθυμία.

«Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.» Ἐὰν ἐμεῖς γίνωμε ἐλεήμονες πρὸς τὸν κάθε ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφὸ καὶ σύνδουλό μας, τότε καὶ Ἐκεῖνος θὰ μᾶς χαρίση τὸ μέγα καὶ σωτήριο ἔλεός Του, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν! Γένοιτο!

Συχνὴ εἶναι ἡ ἀναφορὰ τοῦ Ματθαίου στὸ θέμα τῆς οὐρανίου Βασιλείας, ὥστε τὸ Εὐαγγέλιό του ὀνομάζεται Εὐαγγέλιο τῆς Βασιλείας. Ὁ Κύριος προτρέπει τοὺς μαθητές Του, ἄρα καὶ ὅλους ἐμᾶς, νὰ ἐπιζητοῦμε πρῶτα ἀπ’ ὅλα τὴν «βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ» (Ματθ., στ’ 33). Ἐὰν ἡ ἐκζήτηση τῆς βασιλείας Του ἀποτελεῖ τὸ πρωταρχικό μας αἴτημα, τότε «ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν» (ὅ. π.). Ὅλα ὅσα χρειαζόμαστε καὶ ὁ Κύριος τὰ γνωρίζει πολὺ καλύτερα ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς, θὰ μᾶς τὰ δώση ἐπιπλέον, ὡς δῶρο-συμπλήρωμα στὴν πρωτεύουσα ἀνάγκη μας, ποὺ ὀφείλει νὰ εἶναι ἡ ἀπόκτηση τῆς βασιλείας Του.

Μιὰ τέτοια παραβολὴ γιὰ τὴν βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀκοῦμε στὴν Ἐκκλησία μας τὴν ΙΑ’ Κυριακὴ Ματθαίου, τὴν παραβολὴ τῶν μυρίων ταλάντων (Ματθ., ιη’ 23-35). Ἡ περικοπὴ κάνει λόγο γιὰ ἕναν βασιλέα, ὁ ὁποῖος θέλησε νὰ λογαριαστῆ («συνᾶραι λόγον») μὲ τοὺς δούλους του (ὅ.π. 23). Καθώς, λοιπόν, λογαριαζόταν μεταφέρθηκε μπροστά του («προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ») ἕνας ὀφειλέτης «μυρίων

ταλάντων» (ὅ. π., 24). Ἐὰν ἀναλογιστοῦμε ὅτι ἕνα τάλαντο ἰσοδυναμεῖ μὲ 240 περίπου χρυσὲς λίρες, τότε μιλᾶμε γιὰ μιὰ ὀφειλὴ ὕψους 2,5 περίπου ἑκατομμυρίων λιρῶν.

Ὁ βασιλιὰς ζητάει ἀπὸ τὸν δοῦλο του νὰ πωλήση ὅλα του τα ὑπάρχοντα, «καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ πάντα ὅσα εἶχε.» (ὅ. π., 26-27), προκειμένου νὰ ἀποπληρώση τὸ χρέος του. Δὲν πρέπει, καθόλου, νὰ μᾶς παραξενεύῃ μιὰ τέτοια ἀπαίτηση τοῦ κυρίου ἀπὸ τὸν δοῦλο του, διότι ἦταν ἀπολύτως νομότυπη, σύμφωνα μὲ τὸν ἑβραϊκὸ νόμο καὶ τὸ ῥωμαϊκὸ δίκαιο τῆς ἐποχῆς.

Μόλις ὁ ἀπελπισμένος δοῦλος ἐκλιπαρεῖ τὸν Κύριο νὰ τὸν ἐλεήση, διότι δὲν ἔχει νὰ ἀποδώση τὸ ὑπέρογκο αὐτὸ ποσό, ἐκεῖνος τοῦ χαρίζει ὄχι μόνον τὸ χρέος ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερία του. Ἀληθινὰ ἀρχοντικὴ ἡ στάση τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ!

Πίσω ἀπὸ τὸν φιλεύσπλαγχνο βασιλέα τῆς παραβολῆς οἱ Πατέρες βλέπουν τὸν φιλάνθρωπο ἐπουράνιο βασιλέα. Αὐτὸν παρακαλοῦμε καὶ ἐμεῖς καθημερινὰ στὴν προσευχή μας νὰ μᾶς χαρίσῃ τὶς ὀφειλές μας, -τὶς μυριάδες καθημερινὲς ἁμαρτίες μας-, ὑποσχόμενοι ὅτι θὰ κάνομε καὶ ἐμεῖς τὸ ἴδιο στοὺς ἀδελφούς μας: «…ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν».

Γιὰ νὰ δοῦμε, ὅμως! Ἐμεῖς εὐεργετοῦμε τὸν ἀδελφό μας, ὅπως κάνει ὁ Κύριος μὲ ἐμᾶς; Τὸν συγχωροῦμε γιὰ τὰ παραπτώματά του; Μακροθυμοῦμε, ἐνῶ ἐκεῖνος μᾶς ἀδικεῖ; Μήπως τὸν πνίγουμε γιὰ λίγα δηνάρια –τὰ ἑκατὸ ἀντιστοιχοῦν σὲ ποσὸ λιγότερο ἀπὸ ἕνα εὐρώ-, ὅπως ἔκανε καὶ ὁ εὐεργετημένος ἀπὸ τὸν Κύριο δοῦλος στὸν σύνδουλό του; («…καὶ κρατήσας αὐτόν ἔπνιγεν λέγων˙ ἀπόδος μοι, εἴ τι ὀφείλεις», Ματθ. ιη’ 28).

Ἀλήθεια, πόσο σκληρόκαρδοι γινόμαστε πρὸς τὸν χρεώστη ἀδελφό μας! Κυρίως, ὅμως, πόσο ἀγνώμονες γινόμαστε πρὸς τὸν εὐεργέτη Κύριό μας! Ἐνῶ Ἐκεῖνος διέγραψε, μὲ τὴν σταυρική του θυσία, ὁριστικὰ τὸ χρέος τῶν ἀναρίθμητων ἁμαρτιῶν μας καὶ μᾶς χάρισε διὰ παντὸς τὴν ἐλευθερία-σωτηρία μας, ἐμεῖς ἀποδεικνυόμαστε, τελικά, ἀνάξιοι τῆς ἀπέραντης εὐεργεσίας Του.

Ὑπάρχουν, ὅμως, καὶ εὐσυνείδητοι «δοῦλοι». Ἐκεῖνοι, βλέποντας τὴν συμπεριφορὰ τοῦ ἀγνώμονος δούλου, «λυποῦνται σφόδρα … καὶ ἐλθόντες διεσάφησαν τῷ κυρίῳ ἑαυτῶν πάντα τὰ γενόμενα.» (ὅ. π. 31). Ὁ Κύριος, ὡς παντογνώστης ποὺ εἶναι, γνωρίζει ἀσφαλῶς τί ἔχει προηγηθῆ καὶ δὲν περιμένει νὰ τοῦ τὸ ποῦν, γιὰ νὰ λάβη τὰ μέτρα του. Εἶναι, ὅμως, σημαντικὸ ὅτι παρουσιάζεται καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ὄψη

τοῦ γεγονότος, ποὺ δείχνει ὅτι ὑπάρχουν καὶ ἄνθρωποι ποὺ ἀντιδροῦν στὴν ἀδικία, τὴν ἀποκαλύπτουν («διεσάφησαν») καὶ ζητοῦν τὴν ἀποκατάσταση τοῦ δικαίου.

Προτοῦ ὅμως ὁ Κύριος ἔλθη ὡς δίκαιος κριτὴς νὰ ἀποδώση δικαιοσύνη καὶ μάλιστα γιὰ χάρη ἐκείνων ποὺ τὸ ζητοῦν, ἔχει ἔλθει πρωτίστως ὡς παιδαγωγὸς καὶ ἔχει διδάξει μὲ τὸ παράδειγμά Του.

Ἔδειξε ἐμπράκτως τὸ ἔλεός Του στὸν δοῦλο ποὺ Τοῦ τὸ ζήτησε, ὑποδεικνύοντάς του, ἔτσι, τί ὄφειλε νὰ κάνη ὁ ἴδιος στὸν σύνδουλό του. Ὅταν διαπιστώνη ὅτι ὁ εὐεργετηθεὶς δοῦλος γίνεται ἀνελεήμων καὶ ἄσπλαγχνος πρὸς τὸν σύνδουλό του, τότε, προτοῦ ἀποδώση δικαιοσύνη, ἀπευθύνει στόν «πονηρὸ δοῦλο» τὸ εὔλογο ἐρώτημα: «οὐκ ἔδει καὶ σὲ ἐλεῆσαι τὸν σύνδουλόν σου, ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ σὲ

ἐλέησα;» (ὅ. π. 33).

Φαίνεται ὅμως ὅτι ὁ δοῦλος αὐτὸς ἦταν πράγματι πονηρὸς καὶ ἀμετανόητος, ὁπότε ὁ Κύριος στὴν συνέχεια, γιὰ νὰ μὴν σκανδαλίση καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους συνδούλους, ποὺ ἦταν δίκαιοι καὶ εὐσυνείδητοι καὶ ἀνέμεναν τὴν καταδίκη του, «ὀργισθεὶς παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν τοῖς βασανισταῖς ἕως οὗ ἀποδῶ πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον αὐτῶ.» (ὅ. π. 34).

Δικαία ἡ ὀργή τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ἡ κρίση του «ἀνέλεος παντὶ τῷ μὴ ποιήσαντι ἔλεος» (Ἰάκ., β’ 13). Ὅσο γιὰ τὸν πονηρὸ δοῦλο ποὺ ἔβαλε στὴν φυλακὴ τὸν σύνδουλό του «ἕως οὗ ἀποδῶ τὸ ὀφειλόμενον αὐτῶ» (Ματθ., ιη’ 30) -τὰ ἑκατό δηνάρια!- παραδίδεται τώρα στούς «βασανιστές», «ἕως οὗ ἀποδῶ πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον αὐτῶ» (ὅ. π. 34), μέχρι νὰ ξεπληρώση ὅλες του τὶς ἁμαρτίες!

Εὔλογο καὶ τὸ συμπέρασμα ἀπὸ τὴν παραπάνω παραβολή: «Οὕτω καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ ἐπουράνιος ποιήσει ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀφῆτε ἕκαστος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν.» (ὅ. π. 35). Τελικά, δὲν μᾶς καταδικάζει ὁ Κύριος﮲ ἐκεῖνο ποὺ μᾶς καταδικάζει εἶναι ἀφ’ ἑνὸς ἡ ἔλλειψη ἀγάπης καὶ ἡ σκληροκαρδία πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφό μας, ἀφ’ ἑτέρου ἡ ἀγνωμοσύνη μας πρὸς τὸν Κύριο τοῦ ἐλέους. Ἐκεῖνος, μέσα ἀπὸ τὸ δικό Του σταυρικὸ παράδειγμα, μᾶς ζητάει νὰ συγχωροῦμε ὄχι τὰ μεγάλα ἁμαρτήματα -μακάρι νὰ τὸ κάναμε!- ἀλλὰ τὰ παραπτώματα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μας «ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ἡμῶν», μὲ ἱλαρότητα καὶ μὲ μακροθυμία.

▲ For · mercy

Sentiment: positive

The quote blesses the merciful, stating they will receive mercy.

🇬🇧 English translation

Let us have mercy, so that we may receive mercy! - Pemptousia

Matthew's reference to the subject of the Kingdom of Heaven is frequent, so much so that his Gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Lord urges His disciples, and thus all of us, to seek first above all things 'the kingdom of God and His righteousness' (Matt. 6:33). If the pursuit of His kingdom is our primary demand, then 'all these things will be added to you' (ibid.). Everything we need, and which the Lord knows much better than we do, He will give us in addition, as a gift-supplement to our primary need, which ought to be the acquisition of His kingdom.

A parable of this kind regarding the kingdom of heaven we hear in our Church on the 11th Sunday of Matthew, the parable of the ten thousand talents (Matt. 18:23-35). The passage speaks of a king who wished to settle accounts ("settle accounts") with his servants (ibid. 23). As he was settling accounts, a debtor of "ten thousand talents" was brought before him ("was brought to him") (ibid. 24). If we calculate that one talent is equivalent to approximately 240 gold pounds, then we are speaking of a debt amounting to about 2.5 million pounds.

The king asks his servant to sell all his possessions, "and his wife and his children and all that he had" (ibid. 26-27), in order to pay his debt. Such a demand from a master to his servant should not surprise us at all, as it was completely lawful according to Hebrew law and Roman law of the time.

As soon as the desperate servant implores the Lord to have mercy on him, because he has nothing to repay this enormous sum, the Lord grants him not only the debt cancellation but also his freedom. Truly royal is the attitude of this king!

Behind the merciful king of the parable, the Fathers see the merciful heavenly King. Him we also pray to daily in our prayer, asking Him to forgive our debts—our myriad daily sins—promising that we too will do the same to our brothers: "...and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

But let us see! Do we bless our brother as the Lord does with us? Do we forgive him for his transgressions? Do we show patience when he wrongs us? Do we perhaps choke him for a few denarii—a hundred being equivalent to much less than one euro—just as the servant, though blessed by the Lord, did to his fellow servant? ("...and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying: Pay me what you owe," Matt. 18:28).

Truly, how hard-hearted we become toward our indebted brother! More importantly, however, how ungrateful we become toward our benefactor, the Lord! While He has definitively erased, through His cruciform sacrifice, the debt of our countless sins and has granted us our freedom-salvation forever, we prove, in the end, unworthy of His boundless benevolence.

There are, however, also conscientious "servants." They, seeing the behavior of the ungrateful servant, "were greatly distressed... and coming, they made known to their master all that had happened" (ibid. 31). The Lord, as the omniscient One He is, knows surely what has preceded and does not wait to be told in order to take measures. It is, however, important that this aspect of the event is also presented, showing that there are also people who stand against injustice, reveal it ("made it known"), and seek the restoration of justice.

Before the Lord comes as a righteous judge to render justice, and especially for the sake of those who seek it, He has come primarily as a Teacher and has taught through His example.

He demonstrated His mercy in practice to the servant who asked it of Him, thus indicating to him what he himself ought to do to his fellow servant. When He finds that the benefited servant becomes merciless and pitiless toward his fellow servant, then, before rendering justice, He addresses the "wicked servant" with the logical question: "Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?" (ibid. 33).

It seems, however, that this servant was indeed wicked and unrepentant, so the Lord, subsequently, so as not to scandalize the other fellow servants, who were righteous and conscientious and were awaiting his condemnation, "was angry and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was owed to him" (ibid. 34).

The Lord's anger and His judgment are just: "merciless to everyone who does not practice mercy" (James 2:13). As for the wicked servant who put his fellow servant in prison "until he should pay what was owed to him" (Matt. 18:30)—the hundred denarii!—he is now delivered to the "tormentors," "until he should pay all that was owed to him" (ibid. 34), until he pays for all his sins!

The conclusion from the above parable is also logical: "So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart" (ibid. 35). Ultimately, the Lord does not condemn us; what condemns us is, on one hand, the lack of love and hard-heartedness toward our brother, and on the other, our ungratefulness toward the Lord of mercy. He, through His own cruciform example, asks us to forgive not great sins—blessed if we could do that!—but the transgressions of our brother "from our hearts," with gentleness and with patience.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." If we become merciful toward every brother and fellow servant in Christ, then He too will grant us His great and saving mercy, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen! Let it be so!

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