MATTHEW 18:23-35 PARABLE OF UNFORGIVING SERVANT
Peter asked Jesus, “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.
That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘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.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.” But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned the (unforgiving) servant and said to him, ‘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?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.
REFLECTION:
Peter asks a reasonable question, ”How often must I forgive my brother…” it is difficult to forgive after all….sometimes we can’t forgive ourselves….we must accept and trust in the mercy of God…there is no sin so bad or so big that God’s mercy can’t wipe clean….in this parable Jesus addresses our forgiving others…Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us….be careful of what we pray for….the measure we measure will be measured to us…we are told to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect…one way we achieve this is through forgiving others…we live now in time of mercy…later there will be judgment…so will my heavenly Father do to you as you do to others…
SILENT PRAYER
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