Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?

 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

 Over the past couple of readings, Jesus has been responding to the question from the disciples, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (see Wednesday's reading).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus told the disciples, "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 who 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."   In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave instructions for mutual correction in the Church, teaching that first corrections should be made in private.  Peter then asks about forgiveness within this process.  Seventy times seven is a symbol of an unlimited amount. 

"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."   My study bible explains that ten thousand talents is an impossible sum.  It is more than a laborer could earn in several lifetimes.  A hundred denarii is a significant amount from an earthly perspective (it is about three months' wages), but it's a pittance compared to the debt that is owed the king in this parable.  There is a spiritual interpretation to the parable also offered by some patristic writers.  Regarding the punishment described, the man represents the soul, the wife represents the body, and children represent a person's works.  So, the body and deeds are given over to slavery (or Satan) -- that is, excommunication to a worldly life without protection of Christ -- so that the soul might possibly be saved through repentance (see 1 Corinthians 5:5).  The point of this parable is to teach that God not only stays the punishment that we deserve, but forgives the entire debt in addition.  As God forgives us, so we are asked to grant the gift of forgiveness to others.

Let us consider repentance and what it means.  Sometimes it is only after going through hard times that a person begins to consider others and have sympathy or understanding for them.  Our culture values winning and success.  It really doesn't matter what end of the political spectrum or which social group one belongs to or values one espouses -- success within the eyes of a community becomes an important and coveted currency.  Experience teaches us that people will do all kinds of things, for all kinds of reasons, to gain such approval or success in the eyes of community.  And therein is the heart of Christ's message, it seems to me.  The Pharisees were the religious leaders of their time, and also perhaps the most righteous among the leadership.  Their code was fairly strict, and they held themselves to such high conduct.  But they are the ones who clash with Jesus.  Their self-righteousness and need for leadership position -- the regulatory role of the faith -- overcomes their capacity to see and hear what Christ is.  Their role in the story of Christ is a cautionary tale for all of us, because it is easy to play a role rather than honestly find the humility Christ asks of us in our lives.  Failure, on the other hand, is a kind of forced humility that has as a potential benefit the reckoning with an inner truth -- that our value and worth isn't based on the opinion of the world but rather on how we stand with God and how honest we are about who we are in that secret place with our Father who sees in secret.  (Practically all of chapter 6 relates to this struggle).  When we fail, we are faced with the question of coming to terms with real identity, and not merely all the things people say about us.   In yesterday's reading, Jesus speaks of Himself as the One who comes to seek that which is lost.  It is in our times of failure that we can most readily understand we are in need of His protection and guidance.  The unforgiving tortures that the world can give us serve to create an internal demand:  we are either going to find the truth of God's love for us or surrender to that slavish reality.  Let us understand not only the love God wants to give us, but rather the love God wishes to share with us so that we, in turn, share with others.  Don't jump on the bandwagon of social self-righteousness and vilification; rather seek the truth found in the secret place, the love found in the Kingdom.  It comes with self-knowledge of our own capacity for failure in the eyes of others, and a reckoning found in the righteousness of faith.  The Cross teaches us that what is real is in the depth of the soul; truth may be something hidden from the voices that seem to shout the loudest and condemn most harshly.  When everyone else seems to shout for blood, that is the time to step back and pray.  It is the great grace of the Savior's humility that teaches us about truth and righteousness.