Word to the Wise
Thursday, August 17, 2023 - Thursday in the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
[Josh 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17 and Matt 18:21—19:1]Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." [Matthew]
This dialogue between Jesus and Peter is followed by the parable of the Unforgiving Servant in which a servant, who owed his master a huge amount that he could not conceivably pay back, begs for extra time to pay. The master responds with a complete forgiveness of the loan! But that same servant refuses to act in the same way as the master in regard to a fellow servant who owed a very small amount and just needed a little more time to pay it off. The latter action comes to the attention of the master and the first servant is called to account and the mercy is withdrawn.
Because this parable is separated from the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray, it is easy to forget a phrase from the "Lord's Prayer": "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..." [Matt. 6:12]. When the master calls the first servant to account, he says: "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?" These words should alert us to what follows the "Lord's Prayer": "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." [Matt. 6:14-15]
In short, forgiveness from God, received, at least, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation must be matched by our own forgiveness! Yes, reconciliation must go hand in hand with justice. The debt is owed and should be paid. But if we expect mercy from God, we should be willing to show that same mercy toward our neighbor. Given the number of times we say the "Lord's Prayer' in our lives, it is amazing how we can gloss over that requirement. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is not a "get out of jail free card." AMEN