“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
We may imagine that Peter thought he was being generous by suggesting as many as seven times. But Jesus insisted that placing any limits on forgiveness, that keeping score in any fashion, was unacceptable.
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
The point was that Peter was not to sit and count the offenses as they piled up against him, ready and waiting for the offense that would finally be one too many. Rather, he was too be limitless in the mercy he was willing to show. But he could only do this if he deeply realized the mercy he had first received from God himself.
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
Without the realization of how great a debt he himself first owed and then was gratuitously forgiven he would not have the freedom to forgive others except in a small and limited way. Rather, he would still feel the need to insist that the debts owed to him be paid. He would feel a violent desperation to ensure that he could take care of himself and provide for himself. Others would therefore seem to be in competition with him. Without that realization he would feel that he was on his own and that it was necessary to insist on the payment of everything that was due to him lest he come to ruin.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
How easily do we let others off the hook for unmet obligations to us? This is not to say that we let ourselves become the subjects of continued abuse. But if it does in fact happen, as it inevitably will, that others fail in their obligations to us, does this forever taint our relationship with them? Or do we not rather allow others to have a fresh start when they seem to be trying to make one?
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
Even if others who owe us don't fall on their knees and beg we should still recognize the desperation of the situation of one whose life is still dominated by debt. We should be moved by our own experience of God's mercy to do what we can to share that mercy with others. This, and not managing all of those things we perceived are owed to us, should be are primary motive.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
It is simply impossible to genuinely receive the mercy of God without becoming agents of mercy. If we refuse to allow ourselves to be changed into people eager to forgive and show mercy it means that the mercy God originally desired to show us was blocked by our hardness of heart. By insisting on the debts of others we find that we are actually insisting on our own debt. More than them, it is we ourselves whom we imprison by unforgiveness.
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
Let us come before the Father and beg him to forgive not only our own sins, but those of the whole world. Let us do this even if it means we stand up "in the fire" of passions that are not yet fully converted. He himself desires not only that we receive mercy but that we become channels of his mercy. This is in fact the only the those flames will be extinguished.
Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Deliver us by your wonders,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment