ACC ~ Matthew 18 v23

WHICH KING?

WHOSE KINGDOM?

ORIGEN: If the comparison is to a king like this—and to one who acts like this—of whom must we be speaking if not the Son of God? For he is the king of the heavens. Just as he is wisdom itself and justice and truth, is he not kingship itself? The kingdom does not belong to any of those below, nor a part of those above, but to all those above, whatever is called the heavens. If you are curious about the beatitude “theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” [1] you can just as well say “theirs is Christ,” since Christ is the kingdom. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 14.7. [2]

[1] Mt 5:3-10.

[2] GCS 40:289; ANF 9:498.

SETTLING ACCOUNTS WITH HIS SERVANTS

ORIGEN: The servants in this case are the dispensers of the word. [1] When he demands an account of the servants, the king also asks those who have borrowed from the servants, whether a hundred measures of grain or a hundred jars of oil or whatever those outside the king’s stewardship have received. For the fellow servant of the unjust steward, according to the parable, will not be found to be the one who owes a hundred measures of grain or a hundred jars of oil, as is clear from the words “How much do you owe my master?” Consider that each good and fitting deed is like a profit and a gain, but each bad one is like a loss. And just as one gain can be a gain of more money and another of less and there is a difference between the more and the less, so in the case of good deeds there is a kind of valuing of greater or lesser gains. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 14.8. [2]

[1] Word means the Christian message, which is identified with Christ himself, the divine Word (Logos).

[2] GCS 40:293-94; ANF 9:499.

DEGREES OF SIN

CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see how great a difference there is between sins against humanity and sins against God? As much a difference as between ten thousand talents and a hundred denarii; no, much greater in fact. This comes about from the difference of the persons and from the frequency of the sins. For when someone is watching, we hold off and do not dare to sin. But God is watching all the time, and yet we are not afraid; in fact, we even say and do everything quite brazenly. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 61.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:589-90; NPNF 1 10:376.