Word to the Wise
Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - 3rd Week of Lent - Tues
[Dan 3:25, 34-43 and Matt 18:21-35]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?
Jesus tells the parable of the "unforgiving servant" in response to Peter's question about how often we should forgive someone who hurts us. First he says that we will have to forgive often - "not seven but seventy times." Then he tells us the parable to remind us that forgiveness needs to be as complete as God's forgiveness is complete! Does this sound familiar? It should, but I suspect we don't pay attention to certain words in a prayer we say so often that we probably would not be able to count the number of times we've said it. Here's a hint: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us! OOOOOH! Yes, the "Our Father!" We pray that God will forgive us TO THE EXTENT THAT WE FORGIVE OTHERS! The unforgiving servant would not even let his fellow servant "pay over time" even though he (the unforgiving servant) had just been forgiven his ENTIRE debt by the Master!
The parable of the "prodigal son" illustrates the loving forgiveness of the father and the depth of repentance of the younger son, but it also illustrates the problem of forgiveness in the older brother. The parable of the "unforgiving servant" brings this latter problem to the forefront. The gospel scripture for today is from Matthew 18. Go back to Matthew 6:9 where Jesus teaches the disciples to pray. At the end of the prayer, vv. 14-15, he adds: "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."
Forgiveness is often the "unfinished business" of the sacrament of reconciliation. Yes, we receive "absolution" for our sins (do we include our "unforgiveness?"). But do WE forgive those who hurt us or seek forgiveness from someone we may have hurt? If Lent is a time of repentance and conversion, we may find a truly worthy challenge in the task of forgiving others. How do we do this? Just think of all the persons in your life, beginning with God and yourself, and then parents, spouses, children, relatives, co-workers, professional people, church people, any people we have a prejudice about..... It may take awhile, but it will be time well spent! Rereading the parable of the unforgiving servant may help to motivate us! AMEN