The Diatessaron of Tatian — Section 30

St. Cyril of Alexandria

1. 0. Greeting

1 [[Luke 14.7]] And he spoke a parable unto those which were bidden there, because he saw 2 them choose the places that were in the highest part of the sitting room: [[Luke 14.8]] When a man invites you to a feast, do not go and sit at the head of the room; lest there 3 be there a man more honourable than you, [[Luke 14.9]] and he that invited you come and say to you, Give the place to this man: and you be ashamed when you rise and 4 take another place. [[Luke 14.10]] But when you are invited, go and sit last; so that when he that invited you comes, he may say unto you, My friend, go up higher: and 5 you shall have praise before all that were invited with you. [[Luke 14.11]] For every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and every one that abases himself shall be exalted.

6 [[Luke 14.12]] And he said also to him that had invited him, When you make a feast or a banquet, do not invite your friends, nor even your brethren, nor your kinsmen, nor your 7 rich neighbours; lest haply they also invite you, and you have this reward. [[Luke 14.13]] But when you make a feast, invite the poor, and those with withered hand, and the 8 lame, and the blind: [[Luke 14.14]] and blessed are you, since they have not the means to reward 9 you; that your reward may be at the rising of the righteous. [[Luke 14.15]] And when one of them that were invited heard that, he said to him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

10, 11 Jesus answered again in parables, and said, [[Luke 14.16]] b The kingdom of heaven has been likened [Arabic, p. 115] to a certain king, which made a feast for his son, and prepared a 12 great banquet, and invited many: and he sent his servants at the time of the feast to inform them that were invited, Everything is made ready for you; come. And 13 they would not come, but began all of them with one voice to make excuse. [[Luke 14.18]] And the first said to them, Say to him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out 14 to see it: [[Luke 14.19]] I pray you to release me, for I ask to be excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them: I pray you 15 to release me, for I ask to be excused. [[Luke 14.20]] And another said, I have married a wife, 16 and therefore I cannot come. [[Matthew 22.4]] And the king sent also other servants, and said, Say to those that were invited, that my feast is ready, and my oxen and my fatlings are 17 slain, and everything is ready: come to the feast. [[Matthew 22.5]] But they made light of it, and 18 went, one to his field, and another to his merchandise: [[Matthew 22.6]] and the rest took his 19 servants, and entreated them shamefully, and killed them. [[Luke 14.21]] a And one of the servants 20 came, and informed his lord of what had happened. [[Matthew 22.7]] And when the king heard, he became angry, and sent his armies; and they destroyed those murderers, and 21 burned their cities. [[Matthew 22.8]] Then he said to his servants, The feast is prepa