Word to the Wise
Thursday, August 13, 2015 - Thursday in the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
[Josh 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17 and Matt 18:21—19:1]"You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?" [Matthew]
Today's scene from the Gospel of Matthew is a powerful message about compassion and forgiveness. It says very simply that we must forgive and do it often. The scene begins with Peter's question about how often he should forgive someone who wrongs him. Peter thinks seven times is generous. Jesus tells him by contrast that he should multiply that number by eleven to seventy-seven!
Then Jesus tells the parable of the "Unforgiving Servant" who refuses to show mercy to a fellow servant over a very small indebtedness even though he (the unforgiving one) has just received a complete release from an enormous and really unpayable debt. When the Master hears about this refusal, he rescinds the pardon! The last line of the parable is important: "So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." This echoes the powerful line in the "Lord's Prayer" which Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." [Matt. 6:12] At the end of that prayer, Jesus underlines that command by saying we should not expect forgiveness from God if we ourselves are unwilling to forgive. [Matt. 6:14-15]
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one in which we receive God's mercy and pardon for our sins against God and neighbor. However, the sacrament also assumes that we will do the same for those who have offended against us. This does not mean that we should ignore injustice or reconciliation. However, those require more than one person to bring about. Forgiveness requires only our own action. Forgiveness is always in our power. I use this parable as the scripture for Penance Services in parish missions. It is not unusual to hear someone say during that sacrament, "Do I have to forgive this or that person, even though they did this or that to me?" I respond, "That is Jesus' teaching." AMEN
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