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Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."
- Matthew 18:21-35
In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His talk in answer to the question, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He taught, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." Of today's entire reading, my study bible tells us, "Unlimited forgiveness toward a brother or sister is illustrated by this parable. Sin is portrayed as a debt to God (6:12), a debt originated by neglecting God's will. Ten thousand talents -- an impossible sum, more than a laborer could earn in a lifetime -- is contrasted to a hundred denarii, equivalent to about a hundred days' wages. Just as the king shows mercy and severity toward the servant, so does God show love and strictness toward us depending on our willingness to forgive our brothers and sisters. The love of God is manifested in paying off the debt, a remission or letting go of sins. Because God forgives us, we in return are obliged to grant this gift of forgiveness to others. When each Christian forgives from his heart, true reconciliation and healing come to the Church by God's grace."
Today's reading is linked to the one given to us on Wednesday, in which Jesus instructed Peter to catch a fish and it would contain the coin in its mouth with which he could pay the temple tax for both of them. Jesus made an important point in His teaching to Peter, that "the sons are free." Here in this parable in today's reading, we revisit this notion of the freedom of the sons: that Jesus will make one sacrifice for all of us, so we shall all be called sons (or children), and not just servants. Because forgiveness is so freely given by virtue of this sonship and this sacrifice, it is our duty to be like Christ, and to extend the same forgiveness we've been extended to our own brothers and sisters. There is nowhere here that says a debt isn't at least acknowledged. This teaching is predicated on what precedes it, the teaching from yesterday that included a system of self-correction in the Church. Thus, as Shakespeare wrote, "The quality of mercy is not strained." There isn't one forgiveness of God and another of us. Rather, forgiveness is a kind of practice, just as love or prayer is a practice. Becoming like God is something daily we have with us; it always starts in the here and now, and God is present to help us in this process in the here and now, in whatever here and now we or anyone else may find themselves. When sin or offense isn't acknowledged by the offending party, forgiveness is still possible within that context of God's grace reaching toward us. One doesn't need to be asked for forgiveness in order to put hurt before God, acknowledge the harm oneself, and then allow grace to judge and ask for healing. We take God's way, not a worldly way. In our relationship to Christ, nothing needs to be swept under the rug or go unrecognized; we needn't depend on earthly justice to forgive. In today's example, however, Peter is asking in a continuum from the teaching of correction in the Church, and Jesus' answer teaches us that "the quality of mercy is not strained" -- even up to seventy times seven. Therefore, regardless of what an offending party may choose to acknowledge or not, we go to our Reconciler for the way to live our lives, and most importantly for our freedom. We ask for God's way forward, not a worldly way forward. We don't need a pound of flesh to move on, because God's love takes us out of that box. Let us remember where all truth is known, and where mercy lives. Most of all, let us consider where and how we find our real freedom.
