Purpose of Forgiveness

Today’s Gospel Text: Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. 23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 29 So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30 He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; 33 and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 34 And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." Matt 18:21-35

Reflection: It is always good to remind ourselves of the great injunction of our beloved Lord to forgive our brothers and sisters in the Lord, even seventy times seven.

All those familiar with the language of the scripture know for sure that this exhortation invites us to forgive our brothers and sisters seventy times seven, which in reality means ever forgiving and never withholding that forgiveness.

Here I would like to look into one aspect of the motive or the reason for such an exhortation to forgive always, it could lead to a tendency to be tolerant of the wayward behavior of individuals in our midst.

We could be breeding a community in which we could go on sinning again and again and there could be no end to this wrongdoing.  If such wrongdoing continues on, then what witness could this Christian Community be to the world, where good deeds is the criteria for judging things.

That brings to the fore the whole human weakness and the reason for such weaknesses in individual and the need to cry to God for a spirit of patience and fortitude while dealing with people.

Unsound character is not always the fruit of unsound formation, it happens to creep in our sinful nature. In the case of some, even the best formation fails to form that most perfect character.  What is important is to have a desire to walk righteously and to keep working at it with the Lord’s help and grace. 

The Christian community was to be that crucible in which every type of individuals was to find its nest and would be working to develop their character in keeping with God’s word and God’s help.  While God would be working out his priority in the lives of the individual, the individual on the other hand would seek to work out on God’s priority in their lives.

True love exists and is made visible in such a community of the weak, where in we are still dedicated to love and care no matter what the other is going through and how the other behaves.

It is the love manifested in such a situation of unconditional forgiveness that a perfect transformation would take place, more so because God would be working out his own priority in the life of  the person, as he will keep infusing his patience in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, teach me patience as I seek your grace to forgive and love as you love and forgive us. 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us