24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Sirach 27:33-28:9; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35)
Today’s gospel passage addresses one of Jesus’ hallmark
themes: forgiveness. It shows that Christ came to reconcile us with God and
with one another. Alienation—that is, being at odds with others—is a primitive
human condition. We find it in the garden immediately after the man and woman
ate the forbidden fruit. Instead of acknowledging his disobedience, the man
tries to blame his partner for everything. He tells God, “The woman… gave me
the fruit…”
It is always a passion that causes us to offend one another.
It may be envy, anger, or another of the “deadly sins” that leads to vicious
acts or hurtful words. However, in Adam's case in the garden, it was simply the
fear of punishment that moved him to alienate himself from Eve.
Our offenses never simply affect another person or people
but always involve God. By sinning, we separate ourselves from God. For we
disobey his will that we live in peace with everyone. Like any human head of
household, God wants all his people to get along with one another.
To restore peace between brothers and sisters separated by
sin, Jesus insists on forgiveness. The word forgiveness comes from Latin
words, per meaning completely and donare meaning to
give or bestow. To forgive, then, is "to give completely"
or, better, "to give a complete benefit." In the case of a debt,
forgiveness is to completely cancel the debt.
Let us apply this to Jesus' parable in today’s gospel. Jesus
is giving instructions on the reconciliation of sinners with God and with the
community. Peter asks him if it is necessary for the community to forgive a
sinner up to seven times. Jesus replies with an unexpected answer -- not just
seven times but seventy times seven. In other words, Jesus wants us to always forgive
a sinner, at least if he or she sincerely asks us to.
Then he tells the disciples the parable of the servant who
owed the king 10,000 talents. This was an almost unimaginable amount of money
at the time. (The talent was the most valuable currency then, and 10,000 was
the largest number used.) However, by asking for time to pay the debt, the
servant touched the king's heart and received a complete cancellation of the
debt.
Understood in the transaction was the condition that the
servant show mercy to others, as the king had shown him. However, as soon as he
was given the opportunity, the servant refused to forgive a debtor a relatively
small amount. In fact, he wanted to imprison the debtor until he was paid back
in full. When the king heard of this abomination, he became angry. He ordered
that the wicked servant be imprisoned until he "paid back what he
owed." That is, for the rest of his life, given how enormous his debt was.
The parable applies to our “brothers and sisters” in the
Church when they ask for our forgiveness. We must forgive them “from the
heart,” not only monetary debts but all kinds of offenses when they sincerely
ask for it.
But what would Jesus say if our offenders do not ask for our
forgiveness? And what would he do with offenders with whom we do not share the
same faith? Last Sunday’s gospel reading ended with the command that, if the
sinner does not repent of his crime, he should be treated like “a pagan or a
tax collector.” At first glance, it seems that Jesus is advocating disdain for
the sinner or, at least, his isolation. But how did Jesus treat tax collectors
and pagans? Didn’t he strive to reconcile them with God? That is how we should
act toward our hardened offenders. We should pray that they repent and be ready
to forgive them if they do. We should always remember that God has forgiven our
sins. Therefore, we want to do everything possible to help those who offend us
to be forgiven.
