Loading...Last week our Gospel reading was all about accountability. Jesus was teaching his followers tools to deal with conflict by telling them that if someone sins against them they should go directly to that person to try to resolve the issue. And if that doesn’t work, bring another person along. And if that doesn’t work, bring the issue to the church, or to a body of people who can help hold everyone to account for their behavior and the impact caused by that behavior.
But the story really did not end there. It continues with today’s Gospel, where Peter asks Jesus how often a person, particularly a member of the church who has felt that someone has “sinned” against them, should forgive another.
“Seven times?” he asks. And Jesus says that no, that isn’t enough. Rather, forgiving someone has no ending. “Seventy times seven” is another way of saying, “keep on forgiving. Forgiveness is a way of being, a way of living.” A person with a forgiving heart and mind is someone who has a better chance of healing themselves, providing mercy to others, and can be a model that helps the world be a calmer, peaceful, and understanding place to live.
In other words, forgiveness is an attitude one can carry everywhere!
The parable, or example, Jesus shares here is a tough one. It appears to be very binary. Good or bad. Like there is no middle ground that leads to reconciliation or compromise. It shows how someone who could never repay their debt is given a jubilee—a forgiveness of the debt.
While the man promises to pay his debt, it is an impossible promise to keep. Jesus is exaggerating the amount the slave man owes the king. It is believed that a single talent, a currency from that time, is worth 15 years of wages. This slave owed the king ten thousand talents, a sum that could never be repaid in the slave’s, or even in his descendants’, lifetime.
Why or how a slave could have that level of debt to his king is another question altogether. And a question I cannot answer.
Nonetheless, the slave has been forgiven his debt. His family remains intact. He can keep all his belongings. He should be thankful for this outcome, and maybe a bit humbled by the mercy he was shown.
But the world is competitive, and we don’t always give out the goodness, loving-kindness, or mercy we’ve been given. For whatever reason, this slave did not understand the assignment. Forgive and be forgiven. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Show kindness and mercy to everyone.
I’m not sure why this slave became a menace to his neighbors and friends. You would think that because his debt had been forgiven, he would have a benevolent heart, but as we learn, that is not what happens.
This man, instead of being thankful and gracious, basically shook down a fellow slave for the money that was owed him. This time the amount was 100 denarii—a sum that is equivalent to about 100 days, or four months of wages. A small fortune to the poor.
It makes you wonder what systems were in place that caused this kind of poverty, doesn’t it? How can people who have practically nothing ever get out of a rigged system?
How would this second slave ever be able to pay back what is owed if he is imprisoned?
Where is the forgiveness? The mercy? The kindness? The justice?
If, as Jesus says, this story is about the kingdom of heaven being compared “to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves,” what are we supposed to learn?
Well, we are supposed to learn that we are to live with forgiveness as our guide. That when we look at others with mercy and act with kindness, and treat people fairly, we will find the ability to love to be so much easier.
Unfortunately for the slave in our parable, he really did not understand any of this. He did not recognize the hypocrisy of accepting the forgiveness from the king and then forcing someone else to repay their debt to him.
It seemed like he felt empowered to force someone to do what he wanted. I’d call that bullying.
The king found out, of course, and called the slave back to his home and helped the slave see the error of his ways. The king revoked his jubilee, his forgiveness of the man’s debt, beat, and imprisoned the slave.
It’s the next line that might be the most concerning: Jesus ends this parable saying: “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” OUCH.
Now, I believe in a loving, life-giving God who forgives our sins and will never abandon us. But just because I believe all these things it does not mean I have a get out of jail free card when I do not follow the ways of Jesus.
In our humanity, we will always be sinners in God’s sight. As humans, we are given the capability to learn from our sins, our mistakes, and make changes in our behaviors and attitudes that can, if applied well, help us become better citizens of this world.
Jesus takes these two stories—the one from last week and from today—to help us learn how to get along as individuals and in community.
If there’s a problem, talk it through with the person who can help clear the air and begin a pathway to forgiveness and reconciliation.
If someone hurts you, and you’ve approached them with your pain, and they do not want to listen or apologize or change, come back to them with witnesses or people who can help get everyone on the path to reconciliation.
If you are hurting and you’ve done what you can to return to a healthy relationship, forgiveness must be a part of the process. When you forgive another person, it provides you with a sense of relief and peace.
If you are the one being forgiven, take what you are learning, perhaps see it within yourself to forgive yourself, and forgive others for harms they have caused you.
Forgiveness is a cycle. Or maybe a spiral. We have heard the song “Love is nothing until you give it away.” And this is true. But it can also go for forgiveness. It, too, is nothing until you give it away. Give it away. Give it away.
I think the point of this Gospel is that forgiveness is a by-product of love and that we are to offer both with abandon. Seventy times seven. Keep giving it away and it will come back to you.
The world would be so much healthier if we could live that way. Don’t you think?
Let us pray.
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect from the 5th Sunday in Lent BCP 219)
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Prayer for the Human Family, BCP 815)
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