RBWords

     At the beginning of today's gospel, Peter asks Jesus often should he forgive someone who has injured him.  He thinks seven times is a generous offer.  Jesus tells him: "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."  Peter's question resembles that of the lawyer who asks Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" (The parable of the Good Samaritan follows. Luke 10:25-37)  Peter tries to narrow the scope of mercy and compassion. In today's gospel Jesus not only tells Peter that he must forgive often, but he must also forgive as he has been forgiven.  That is a central teaching that appears in the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13).  It is important to read the two verses that follow the prayer (14-15) because Jesus underlines that God will forgive us to the extent that we forgive others.

     In the parable of the Unforgiving Servant which follows Peter's question, a servant who owes so much that he could never live long enough to pay it back is forgiven his entire debt by a merciful Master.  Yet this servant would not, in turn, forgive a very minor debt owed him by a fellow servant.  The other servants in the household go and tell the Master about it, and he reinstates the great debt in punishment.

     This evening, at a parish mission I am currently preaching, I will read this parable and challenge the congregation to examine their relationships of all kinds to see where they need to forgive or to ask for forgiveness.  I use a special "examination of conscience" that begins with forgiving God, then self, and then all kinds of people from family to spouse to children to church workers to professional people and finally to the one person who has hurt us the most.  This examination of conscience never fails to have a powerful impact.  If we expect to receive God's forgiveness, we must be ready and willing to forgive as well.  Coming to terms with our ability, or lack of it, to forgive could make for a truly productive Lent!  AMEN