September 17, 2023
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Gospel for today from Matthew (Mt. 18:21-35) is a continuation of the passage that we heard last Sunday (Mt. 18:15-20) and it follows the same theme of forgiveness.
In last week’s Gospel Jesus gave the disciples instructions on how to proceed if a member of the Church should commit a grave sin. He also gave them a special authority saying, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt. 18:18).
With this statement Jesus gave his closest followers the ability to either forgive or not forgive a person’s sins in Christ’s name, depending on the extent of the person’s repentance. This is a tradition still held today for priests in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Immediately following this declaration of Jesus, Peter asks him a specific question about reconciling with one’s neighbor. He asks, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?” In other words, Peter is asking, “How serious must an offense be against me, or how often must it be committed before it becomes unforgiveable?”
Jesus answers this question by saying, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” (Mt. 18:22). Jesus is telling Peter there is no limit to the number of times he must offer forgiveness toward someone who offends or sins against him. Nor shall he hold a grudge or remain angry. To further, as he often does in the Gospels, Jesus continues with a parable to make his point.
Before looking at this parable of Jesus, consider the First Reading for today from the book of Sirach which also speaks about forgiveness, along with wrath and anger (Sir. 27:30-28:7). The wise author of this book instructs his readers that it is only when we forgive those who offend us that we will be forgiven by God. He writes, “Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.” (Sir. 28:2).
Sirach also goes on to caution against vengeance and holding grudges lest the Lord do the same: “The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance; indeed, he remembers their sins in detail. Does anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Can one refuse mercy to a sinner like oneself, yet seek pardon for one’s own sins?” (Sir. 28:3-4).
Now compare this passage to the story told by Jesus called “The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant,” one of the parables that Jesus uses in the Gospel of Matthew to describe the kingdom of heaven. It is about a king who decides to settle his accounts with all those who owe him money. When a servant who owes the king an exceptionally large amount is brought before him, the king threatens to sell him and his family and all of his property if the servant does not immediately repay the debt. However, when the servant begs for mercy and patience in repaying his debt, the king shows compassion and forgives his loan.
Then it happens that this same servant, who encounters a fellow servant who owes him only a small amount, starts to choke him, demanding to have his money repaid at once. When his fellow servant begs for mercy, the first servant refuses to extend the same compassion he had received from the king. Rather, he has the man imprisoned until he can repay the debt.
The other servants, disturbed by this turn of events, report back to their master. Upon hearing this the king summons the servant whom he had forgiven and reprimands and punishes 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.” (Mt. 18:32-34).
This parable emphasizes the same point made by Sirach, one must forgive in order to be forgiven. Like Sirach, Jesus offers further emphasis on the condemnation from God that results when one fails to forgive others: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” (Mt. 18:35).
The kingdom of heaven is like the kingdom in the parable told by Jesus. Only those who show mercy and compassion to those who have offended them will be shown mercy and compassion by the heavenly Father. One must forgive in order to be forgiven.
Oftentimes this is much easier said than done. People have habits of hurting one another in terrible ways. Spouses wound and betray through marital infidelity. Children rebel against parents. Siblings argue and disagree over family inheritances. And confidantes break the trust of good friends.
It can seem almost impossible to repair the damage of such broken relationships. It takes time, patience, and especially prayer. Fortunately, in yet another display of his brilliance, our Savior, Jesus Christ gives us the perfect way to pray as we await the coming of the kingdom of heaven: “Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.” (Lk. 11:4).
These are the words to say to help us forgive in order to be forgiven.
