Leaven And The Dead

Τίνι ὁμοιώσω τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ; ὁμοία ἐστὶν ζύμῃ, ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία, ἕως οὗ ἐζυμώθη ὅλον. Τοῦτο οὖν σκόπει, πᾶς τις ὁ τοῖς ῥηθεῖσιν ἀμφισβητῶν, ὅτιπερ ἔκαστος, τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ μικρὰν ζύμην ἀρετῆς κτησάμενος, μὴ πεφθακὼς δὲ ταύτην ἀρτοποιῆσαι· ἀλλὰ βουληθεὶς μὲν, μὴ δυνηθεὶς δὲ τοῦτο, ἢ ῥᾳθυμίας ἢ ἀμελείας ἢ ἀναδρίας ἔνεκα καὶ τῆς ἐξ ἡμέρας εἰς ἡμεραν ἀναβολῆς· ἐπιφθασθεὶς δὲ καὶ θερισθεὶς παρ' ἐλπίδα, οὗτος οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσεται παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ· ἀλλ' ἐγερεῖ αὐτῷ μετὰ θάνατον τοὺς οἰκείους, καὶ τούτων τὰς γνώμας ἱθυνεῖ, καὶ τὰς καρδίας ἐλκύσει, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς ἐπικάμψει, καὶ πρὸς ἀρωγὴν καὶ βοήθειαν τούτου σπεύσουσι κινηθέντες. Ὅθεν καὶ ἁψαμένου τοῦ Δεσπότου τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν, ἀναπληρώσουσι τοῦ οἰχομένου τὰ ὑστερήματα. Ὁ δέ γε βίον πονηερὸν κεκτημένος, συμπεφυρμένος ὅλον ἀκάνθαις, πλήρη τε ὑλῶν ὄντα τῶν ἀκαθάρτων, ὅς οὐδέποτε ἐν συνειδήσει ἦλθεν, ἀλλ' ἁδεῶς καὶ ἀδιαφόρως ταῖς τῶν ἡδονῶν ἐνέκειτο δυσωδίαις, πράττων ἀπάσας τὰς τῆς σαρκὸς ὀρέξεις, καὶ μηδὲν ὅλως περὶ ψυχῆς φροντίζων, ἔχων τε τὸ φρόνημα σαρκικὸν ἂπαν· εἶθ' οὔτω φθασεὶς, ἐκδημήσει τοῦ βίου, τούτῳ παντελῶς οὐδεὶς ὀρέξει χεῖρα· ἀλλ' οὔτω πάντα τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν διαπρεχθήσεται, ὡς μήτε ὑπὸ συνεύνου, ἢ τέκνων, ἢ ἀδελφῶν, ἢ συγγενῶν, ἢ φίλων ἐπικουρηθῆναι τὸ σύνολον· ὅτι μηδὲ ἔχει Θεὸς ἐν μέτρῳ τοῦτον. Ἅγιος Ἀθανάσιος, Τὸ Κατὰ Λουκαν Ἐπαγγελιον Source: Migne PG 26.1041d-1404a

To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it leavened the whole batch. 1 See this, then, as everyone who on account of controversial speech is as a one who possesses a little leaven of virtue, which is not yet useful for the making of bread, which he has wished to do, but was not able to do, whether because of sluggishness, or because of carelessness, or because of laziness, or on account of procastination, and then he is taken and sent off at a time he did not expect to that righteous judgement where nothing is neglected. But after his death God stirs up his household and rouses relatives, and directs their minds, draws out their hearts, and inclines their souls, that they turn to his aid and help. So these with their hearts moved by the Lord, would supply what is lacking to the dead man. But he who has spent his life in wickedness, embroiled in thorns, his mind full of filthy matters, who never took thought of what is to come, but without fear and quite indifferently wallowed in vile pleasures, acting in all things according to the flesh, having no thought for his soul, but only for all bodily things, when, then, he is taken and leaves this life, nothing at all will he have to offer in the hand, and thus with him it will be that he shall have the help of neither wife, nor children, nor kin, nor any relation or friend, for God shall have no care for him. Saint Athanasius, On the Gospel of St Luke, Fragment 1 Lk 13.20-21