REFLECTION FOR THE 24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

 

FORGIVENESS IS LIMITLESS

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Readings: Sirach 27:30-28:7, Romans 14:7-9, Matthew 18:21-35

 

This Sunday’s gospel reading continues from that of last Sunday where Jesus told us to correct with love, those who wander and to forgive from the heart, those who offend us (Matt. 18:21-35). Today however, this question of forgiveness takes a slightly different dimension. Peter asks Jesus how often we can forgive a brother who has sinned against us. Peter’s question presupposes that he had already accepted Jesus’s teaching that we must forgive our offenders each time they sin against us. But this time around, Peter wants to know whether there is a limit to the number of times we should offer forgiveness to others. Is seven times a justifiable number?

Jesus’ response indicates that there is no limit to the number of times we must forgive an offending brother or sister (Matt. 18:22). Seventy times seven simply means indefinite number of times. What this implies is that we must not keep a record of the injuries done against us or measure the number of offences we forgive. God multiplies his pardon and so should we (Psalm 78:38). Every time we sin against God and come back to him asking for forgiveness, God always forgives us without taking counts of the number of times we have offended him. We too should imitate God. What is required is not frequent forgiveness but limitless forgiveness.

Going further, Jesus uses the parable of the unforgiving servant to teach us that the reason why we have to forgive the hurts and injuries caused to us by others is simply because we too have been greatly forgiven by God (Matt. 18: 23-35). We often pray in the prayer of Our Father that God should forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. In Christ’s death and resurrection, God has cancelled the sentence of our damnation, and the experience of this forgiving love should impel us to forgive our offenders. Unless we forgive one another from our hearts, our heavenly Father will not forgive us our sins (Matt. 18:35).

The unforgiving servant owed his master a huge sum of ten thousand talents. But when the time of reckoning came and he was not able to make restitution for his debt, the master had the option of selling him off with his entire family and all that he possessed in order to get back his money, but instead, he showed him clemency. He cancelled all his debts and discharged him without charge (Matt. 18: 27). Similarly, every sin we commit is a debt owed to God and like every debt, we must make satisfaction. But as sinners, we are insolvent debtors. We are debtors who though ought to pay what we owe but cannot pay because what we have damaged as a result of our sins is so great that only the forgiving mercy of God can repay it.

In his infinite mercy and compassion, the master cancelled out all the debts the servant owed him. God always looks to a penitent with an eye of mercy no matter how great his sins are. There is forgiveness with God for the greatest sins, only if we are ready to repent of them. It is believed that we learn to forgive by becoming aware of the extent to which we have been forgiven by God. But this was not the case with the unforgiving servant. As one who had just been shown mercy, it was expected that he should have done likewise to his fellow servant who owed him even a smaller amount. But instead, he laid his hand on him, took him by the throat and began to choke him (Matt 18:28).

Apparently, he threatened to kill him. All the pleas of the debtor fell on deaf ears. He ended up putting him in prison till he should pay the debt (Matt. 18:30). Of note is the attitude of the other servants when they got to know about this cruelty. They did not take laws into their hands. They did not carry out a mob action against the wicked servant as we usually do today in such a situation. They rather took the matter to their master. Most battles are not ours to fight; they belong to the master.

Dear friend, we all are sinners and if the Lord should mark our guilt, none of us would survive (Psalm 130:3). The wicked servant simply abused God’s favor. He that has been forgiven greatly should be able to forgive others. He that has been shown much favor should be able to show favor to others. We should be compassionate to our offenders in the same way as God always is to us. Our God is a merciful Father and we should always try to imitate him. As the author of the book of Ecclesiasticus admonishes us in the first reading: If we want our prayers be heard when we pray, then, we should be ready to forgive our neighbors the wrong they have done to us. He that takes vengeance will suffer vengeance from the Lord, and God will firmly establish his sins. We cannot harbor anger against another person and yet, seek for healing from the Lord (Sirach 28:2-4). If forgiveness is not a lifestyle, exercised in each encounter, then, resentment and criticism may rule our lives. Let us therefore pray on this Sunday that the merciful Lord may grant us a forgiving spirit. Amen.