Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?

 

 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 to teach the disciples about what it will mean in His Church to be truly great, and to possess authority.  He said, "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."  Seventy times seven, according to my study Bible, is symbolic of an unlimited amount.  This parable, it says, illustrates the need for unlimited forgiveness.  Ten thousand talents is a completely unthinkable sum; it's more than a laborer could have earned in several lifetimes.  A hundred denarii is the equivalent of about three months wages for Christ's contemporaries, a significant amount but tiny compared to the debt which was owed to the king.  My study Bible comments that God not only stays the punishment we deserve, but forgives us the entire debt as well.  So, if God forgives us, are we not in turn asked to grant the gift of forgiveness to others?  (See Matthew 6:15; Mark 11:25-26.)  There is an additional note on this parable as well, commenting on the nature of the punishment described by Jesus.  A spiritual interpretation sees it as the man representing the soul, the wife representing the body, and the children a person's deeds.  so, the body and the deeds are given over to slavery -- in other words, to Satan -- so that the soul might possibly be saved (see 1 Corinthians 5:5).  

 

Forgiveness is a hard subject.  For those of us who've been wronged in a grievous injustice -- particularly by someone we've loved -- it can become a monumental thing to figure out how to negotiate our forgiveness.  It helps to think about the Lord's Prayer, echoed in the context of today's parable, in which we pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors"  (see verse 12).  In the prayer, as in the parable, debts are equivalent to sins, and this term invites us to consider sins as those things that take something away from someone else.  Perhaps debts are things others have done for us that we don't appreciate, or they are ways we've caused harm or injury, so that we "owe" what we've taken from someone in that sense.  In this context, payment of such a debt would be fulfilling a way of making amends, restoration.  In the 8th and 9th steps of the Twelve Steps, we find that a therapeutic program for health involves taking stock of such things, and doing our best to "repay" by making amends when possible and in ways that don't cause additional harm.  Perhaps a memorable story of the Bible for making amends is the story of Zacchaeus, who restored fourfold anything he had taken by false accusation in his position as chief tax collection.  This is restoration in line with Biblical directives.  But what of forgiveness?  Suppose no restitution or restoration comes?  How do we forgive -- let go -- of a debt when someone has done us harm?  How do we let go of the things we've done for others which go unappreciated or unnoticed?  These things become essential -- as they are in today's reading -- in community, but in particular in the community constituted by Christ, where God (and Christ as Lord and Judge) become the ultimate arbiters of all things.  When we cannot reconcile a debt easily between ourselves and other persons, we can take our forgiveness of debt to the Lord.  For the Lord will "collect" in His own way, in His own time, and with His own justice, which is far superior to ours.  In turn, this sets us free to begin to live in communion with Him, for He is the true restorer of all things, the only One who truly makes all things new (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:1).  He is the only One who can create something out of nothing, for only god has such creative power.  Therefore when we hand our "debts" over to Him, rather than collecting ourselves in whatever way we imagine we might, we make a kind of bargain in which all bets are off, and things suddenly become possible that were impossible, and we are set free to find God's way forward in our lives, instead of waiting to "collect" on people who won't or can't pay.  We become God's children, in giving up the things that expect an earthly reward which isn't forthcoming, and release ourselves to God's way through life instead.  In the context of the parable, we must notice the immeasurable amount of debt owed to the king, and such is our debt to God who loves us and seeks our love in return despite our uncountable sins in disregard of God's word and desires for us.  And each time we return, as one of His sheep, all is forgiven (see the parable of the Prodigal Son).  In our restoration to God and God's communion, God's love is ours regardless of how we have sinned.  Indeed, it is in God's unfailing love that we learn to repent and replace what we've lost in life with His grace.  Looking closely at our recent readings, we find that St. Peter's question to Jesus comes in the context of Christ's prescription for correction within the Church community, and after the one who has sinned has acknowledged what he's done, and so reconciliation becomes possible (see Christ's prescription for mutual correction in the Church in yesterday's reading, above).  Unfortunately, acknowledgement is not always the case.  And yet, in cases where there is no acknowledgement, there is still forgiveness in letting go of such debts to Christ, for it is in Christ that all things are reconciled (Colossians 1:19-20).  Perhaps we would do well to notice that God forgives things that are great, while we are asked to forgive that which is small.  Let us leave our "debts" in God's hands, for God's grace is unlimited, and freely given.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home

 

 He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 

- Luke 16:1–9 

 

 In yesterday's reading, we read the third parable given as response to the Pharisees and scribes, who complained about Christ receiving sinners and tax collectors:  Then Jesus said:  "A certain man had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'  So he divided to them his livelihood.  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants."'  And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'  And they began to be merry.  Now his older son was in the field.  And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'  But he was angry and would not go in.  Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'" 

 

  He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."  As opposed to the preceding three parables -- which were told in response to the Pharisees and scribes who criticized Christ for receiving and eating with sinners and tax collectors, this parable of the Unjust Steward is directed to Christ's disciples.  My study Bible explains the parable to us by teaching that a steward is one who is responsible for managing his master's property and looking after the welfare of his servants.  It notes that the point of this parable is that the unrighteous are better at using money to make friends in the world than believers are at using money to make friends for the Kingdom of God -- which is accomplished by spending it on the needy.  At death (when you fail) the needy will welcome their benefactors into the everlasting home.

There are many dimensions within which we can read and interpret the parable that Jesus gives today, and is directed toward His disciples, His followers.  First of all, there is the meaning given by my study Bible.  Jesus repeatedly has taught about "treasure in the heavens" (Luke 12:33).  He emphasizes on a number of occasions that, when we give alms to help those less fortunate than ourselves -- especially those who cannot pay us back (Luke 14:13-14) -- then we are providing for ourselves a treasure rewarded at the resurrection of the just.  Today's reading emphasizes this lesson directly once again,  It's also important that we juxtapose this lesson for disciples in comparison to the previous three parables given to the Pharisees and scribes.  In those parables, Jesus emphasized God's love for all of God's creation, and in particular God's desire to seek and to find the lost.  Jesus' disciples are already on this path of seeking the Kingdom according to Christ, but here in today's reading He's also preparing them to be stewards of that Kingdom in the world.  As such, they will bear a kind of responsibility they have to come to understand properly.  On several occasions, He prepares them for the leadership of His future Church, especially in repeated teachings about humility and putting the "least of these" first, receiving the humble as if they are receiving Christ Himself, and even the Father (Luke 9:46-48).   But on this occasion, the parable of the Unjust Steward teaches a similar lesson from another angle.  If we are to apply this lesson to the receiving of sinners and tax collectors, we might view it in a different sense, as if "unrighteous mammon" applies not simply to material wealth, but even to sin.  That is, we can see sin as a debt that is owed.  We should remember that in the Lord's Prayer, sin is spoken of as analogous to debt (see Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4).  So, in that sense, it's easy to understand the receiving of those who sin (who "owe a debt") as a kind of forgiving of that debt, of almsgiving.  Moreover, a worldly perspective sees everything as some form of accumulation, debt or repayment (unrighteous mammon), while a divine one understands mercy.  With such a perspective, we are given a very powerful teaching on repentance, where repentance is not simply a tit-for-tat kind of make up or payment for wrongdoing.  On the contrary, repentance is a way to realize God's mercy -- that God is not going to demand repayment, but forgives.  These men who will be the stewards of the Church are being taught not to be like the Pharisees and scribes who simply shun sinners and believe they are purely defiling.  Jesus is teaching His disciples to become the ones who can bring forgiveness of sin to those who repent through the power of Christ's mercy, God's action in the world through the Holy Spirit.  In this sense, even unrighteous mammon can be used to make friends, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.  Additionally, if viewed in this light, we may presume that all of us -- including the disciples -- will fail at some point, for all of us are imperfect, none of us omniscient and perfect as God is perfect.  We all are going to come short of that mark in one way and another.   In the Lord's Prayer, we pray for forgiveness as we forgive others.  "And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us" (Luke 11:4).  In Matthew's version, after giving the prayer, Jesus teaches, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).  Forgiveness will work this way in the Church, and it also works this way in our personal lives as individuals.  We don't need for everyone to "repay" in order to forgive, and Jesus teaches us to forego vengeance:  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:43-45).  This is not a recipe for us to be doormats or to invite abuse and harm; it is rather a sense in which we may be "perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).  So, in each of these ways, to "make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon"  may be a recipe for life in the Kingdom, for the realization of a greater gain than the debt for which we're not "repaid" in kind.  For ultimately, we're to remember that it is Christ who is Judge, it is God who claims vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30). 

Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?

 

 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 taught 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 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."   My study Bible tells us that seventy times seven is symbolic of an unlimited amount (seven is a number symbolizing fullness; seventy multiples such fullness).  This is a parable which teaches the need for unlimited forgiveness.  Ten thousand talents is what my study Bible calls an impossible sum; it is more than any laborer could earn in many lifetimes.  A hundred denarii is a small number by comparison but still remains a significant amount by earthly standards -- my study Bible says it amounts to about three months' wages for a contemporary worker.  But it is a pittance compared to the debt which was owed to the king.  It notes that God not only stays the punishment we deserve, but forgives us the entire debt as well.  Because God forgives us, we are in turn required to grant the gift of forgiveness to others.  There is another patristic interpretation of this parable given, with regard to the punishment described.  In that interpretation, the man represents the soul, the wife represents the body, and the children represent a person's works or deeds.  So therefore, the body and the deeds are given over to slavery -- to Satan, so that the soul might possibly be saved (see 1 Corinthians 5:5). 

There are various places where Jesus teaches us the importance of forgiveness, and most notably how much it is required of us.  In the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:8-15), we pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," indicating not simply mutual forgiveness but that since this prayer is in the plural ("Our" Father), we're also praying for the forgiveness of others.  Notably, Jesus adds the following statement in giving the prayer, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  This addition is a clear affirmation of the teaching in today's parable, Christ's strong admonition regarding our own duties of forgiveness if we want to realize the forgiveness given to us.  The parable makes it clear that God's forgiveness is abounding and abundant, and we are to imitate God in this in order to realize our own.  Note that the teaching does not ask us to be a doormat; in context with the teaching on mutual correction in the Church found in yesterday's reading, the process of forgiveness also asks repentance of those who sin against others.  But what seems most significant are the staggering sums of forgiveness of debt in the parable, something which it is literally impossible for us to repay.  If we think about God's forgiveness, the vast need of such forgiveness is also not limited by time.  That is, as human beings prone to error and sin, we have a long way to go in terms of how we could possibly "qualify" to live in harmony with God in God's Kingdom.  Without forgiveness of sin, how would that even be possible?  Therefore the forgiveness of God, given in advance of any repentance on our part, is extraordinary.  However, in order to realize that forgiveness, we must go through our own process of repentance -- and especially in today's teaching by Jesus, our own exercise of forgiveness as well.  Forgiveness is a powerful way to re-establish trust when a trust has been broken; in effect, it is the only way to do so.  Therefore, as God invites us in to a communion with God even though we have strayed away from it and are always tempted to do so in a number of ways, we are continually invited back in.  The nature of a sinful or "fallen" world is simply a type of predetermination that we will sin, incorporating and learning sinful behavior and misleading thinking and habits from what is around us.  But God's forgiveness covers that, as God awaits our own "change of mind" (repentance) and return.  Therefore we are in turn asked to forgive and re-establish relationship or communion with others (a "brother") within the fullness of the communion with God, and the body of Christ (the Church).  While we realize the love and forgiveness on offer to us, our disposition should be to realize that as we are capable of such also.  Within a marriage, for example, such a disposition and habit must be understood as a bedrock for continued good relations in a bond which Jesus describes as "two become one flesh" (see Matthew 19:4-6; not coincidentally part of the text in tomorrow's Gospel reading).  But again, forgiveness is a process that has repentance as part of its structure.  Just as the bad servant realized the amount of his debt, and asked for patience, we also must recognize our own before forgiveness is extended.  Let us note also the phrase in the parable often associated with Jesus' actions:  the master was moved with compassion.  It's important to see that Christ asks us to do the same in turn, just as judgment will also be based on the exercise of this capacity for ourselves (see Matthew 25:31-45).  Moreover, we are to understand that God is offering forgiveness before we realize we need it, but we also must do our own "work" to realize it and receive it.  So it is with compassion and forgiveness; we may offer something as a disposition toward others, but there is a process to reconciliation that asks repentance as well.  In all things, we seek to please God above all, giving our circumstances and difficulties with others up to God for guidance through them.  Here we are given a model of what it is to forgive and what it is to withhold forgiveness even after repentance and the knowledge of our own forgiveness by God.  This is an understanding and attitude made in the heart, a teaching that comes from the love we're given by God to begin with, and hopefully we learn to grow in that love in the heart.  

Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?

 

 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 taught 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 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."  My study Bible explains about today's reading that the number given by Jesus, seventy times seven, is symbolic of an unlimited amount.  It notes that this parable illustrates the need for unlimited forgiveness.  Ten thousand talents, the sum owed to the king, is an impossible sum.  It's more than a laborer could earn in many lifetimes (according to one estimate, 200,000 years of labor).  From an earthly perspective, a hundred denarii is also a significant amount of money -- about three months' wages, but a pittance compared to the giant debt owed to the king.   But God does not just stay the punishment that would equal the debt, but forgives us the entire debt as well.  Since God forgives us, we are in turn asked to grant the gift of forgiveness to others. There is also in patristic tradition a spiritual interpretation of the punishment that is described here.  In that view, the man represents the soul, the wife represents the body, and the children represent a person's deeds.  So, therefore, the body and the deeds are given over to slavery -- that is, to Satan, so that the soul might possibly be saved (see 1 Corinthians 5:5).  

What is forgiveness?  Is it full reconciliation?  Here and in the Sermon on the Mount, in the prayer Jesus gives to us that we call "The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-15), Jesus likens our sins against others, as well as those committed against us, to debts, when He teaches us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  He also uses the illustration of trespass in His admonition about forgiveness He adds afterward.  So debts, in this context, become some shortcoming of our own, some way in which we've harmed or hurt others, or sinned against them.  There are all kinds of sins and sinning that harm others, some deliberate, some even inadvertent if we are going to count a liability for something unintentional.  A careless word, harmful gossip unthinkingly repeated, unintended consequences may result in so much harm to another or to ourselves that one might consider it "owed" back for the detriment done.  So what is the cost of forgiveness?  Are we prepared to give up restitution, or what we think we're owed when there is a sin to us or to our well-being?  But let us look at the formula for correction in the Church given by Jesus in yesterday's reading (see above).  The one committing the sin is called upon to recognize what has been done; the failure to do so will result in the person being ostracized from community.  As the repeated expressions of what that means exactly given by my study Bible indicate, this last result, to be delivered  "to Satan for the destruction of the flesh" in the words of St. Paul (1 Corinthians 5:5), is not seen as punishment.  Rather it is seen as the last hope for correction and recognition of destructive behavior, the last means of coming to salvation.  It seems that the giving up of such debts for mutual forgiveness is a way of maintaining community not simply among us and between us, but under God, and as the Body of Christ.  For ultimately, everything is owed to God, the author of our lives, the Creator, the One "in whom we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).   But what of those who refuse to acknowledge their debt?  Jesus does not acknowledge that in the parable, but rather His emphasis is on forgiveness and our own failure to extend it.  Of course, coming after Jesus' teaching about mutual correction and discipline in the Church, Peter's question is really a focus on relationships with fellow faithful ("my brother").  But what of the rest of our lives, in our highly secular world?  How does one forgive when sin is not acknowledged?  What does that look like, as is so often the case?  If we think of God as the One to whom all is owed, then our extended forgiveness is a kind of contract between ourselves and God.  We don't necessarily need full communion with a person who continues to sin or trespass in some way, as is evidenced in Jesus' formula for mutual correction in the Church.  But nevertheless we are encouraged to forgive in the sense of letting go of the debt, refraining from seeking our own means of punishment.  If we're concerned about justice as a way of equalizing things, penny for penny and pound for pound, then we must take into consideration the aspect of Christ's parable that tells us clearly that this will be the work of God, and is not up to us to do ourselves.  I was once told by an attorney (who handled many inheritance cases) that the only place that justice really happens is in heaven, and this would seem to match up with Christ's parable.  What we take away from His teaching is that we forgive, even if that means we simply place our faith in God to work things out, and give us good things with which to build our lives.  Whether or not an injustice or hurt is recognized on worldly terms, we have a way to follow our faith, and exchange our debts for something better, a trust in God.   Note that in the parable the emphasis is on our initiative to forgive, and not on the failure of others to repent.  Ultimately our agreement is with Christ's heavenly Father, our first relationship of prime importance.  Let us endeavor to maintain this relationship with God as we are taught.

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home

 

 He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 

- Luke 16:1-9 

 

 On Wednesday, we read that all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."  Jesus told three parables in response, illustrating God's desire to find and save those who are lost. (See the parable of the Lost Sheep, and the parable of the Lost Coin in Wednesday's reading.)  Yesterday, we read the third parable Jesus gave, that of the Prodigal Son.  He said:  "A certain man had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'  So he divided to them his livelihood.  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants."'  And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'   But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.  And they began to be merry.  Now his older son was in the field.  And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'  But he was angry and would not go in.  Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"

 

 He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."  My study bible explains that a steward is responsible for managing his master's property and for looking after the welfare of his servants.   It says that the point of this parable is that the unrighteous are better at using money to make friends in the world than believers are at using money to make friends for the Kingdom of God -- which is accomplished by spending it on the needy.  At death (when you fail) the needy will welcome those who have helped them into the everlasting home.

 

 Jesus teaches us to "make friends by unrighteous mammon."  Well, first of all, the unrighteous mammon already tells us something.  Why would Jesus even want us to commerce in something unrighteous in the first place?  In this parable, Jesus teaches us that it is possible to live in this world, even with its unrighteousness, and yet use the goods of the world for righteousness.  The way that this happens is to consider those who are "less than," who are in need in some sense, and to consider using what we have -- even if it's used by others in sinful ways -- to act in righteousness, to help, to act the God does, graciously.  This is what it is to be righteous, to act as a just person.  So often we think of justice as that which is exactly and precisely measured:  "an eye for an eye," for example (Exodus 21:24).   (We often forget that this aspect of the Law was a way to set a limit on vengeance in the context of the stories of the Bible.)   In terms of bookkeeping and numbers and money, we expect that there is a precise debt which also must be paid precisely.  But every good money manager knows and understands that in order to keep good relations with clients, there must be flexibility involved.  That keeps clients in good stead, and returning.  But Jesus takes all of this understanding one step further.  Essentially He adds in the understanding that there is life that is beyond this world, a life in which what is measured up about us isn't whether or not we traded well, or even about how exact and scrupulous we were about our debts.  There's another step, and another dimension involved, and that is the aspect of how we are capable of grace, and what that does to make friends in heaven, so to speak.  Our ability to reconcile gracious help to others, not out of compunction or legalistic understanding but out of our own capacity to be like our Creator, connects us to another dimension of reciprocity.  It connects us to a cosmos of the visible and invisible, and a communion of faithful that goes beyond what we see and what we know.  Jesus is encouraging us to understand that life isn't limited to the accounting books that are right in front of us, and this can apply to life in so many dimensions.  The kind gesture or act we do today for someone may never be repaid in kind, but we can be certain that it counts with God, and there is recognition where value is meaningful.  The generosity we expend in any direction with the things of this world -- be that a gesture of kindness in the form of charity, goods, or goodwill -- is not lost simply because it is not repaid in worldly terms.  Our goodwill may be extended also through advocacy for those who are helpless to protect and defend themselves -- and the political realm surely includes unrighteous mammon as something we may use for God's true justice through mercy and compassion.  Christ encourages us to think in terms of a much broader perspective on the spectrum of life itself, and in terms of our own communion of friends.  To include not merely that which is "on earth," but also that which is "in heaven," is indeed a broadening of our perspective on all the places our lives touch and will touch.  But this is, in the eyes of Christ, the appropriate perspective, the right calculation in life.  In broadening one's thinking to include this realm, one might also consider what it means to pray for others who have passed, maintaining a connection begun in this world and extending to the realm of heaven, in which we are still able to give something through our prayers.  Let us consider all the ways that we may make an everlasting home -- even, through Christ's instruction, using unrighteous mammon to do so. 

Our Father in heaven

 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard by their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:

"Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

- Matthew 6:7-15

In yesterday's lectionary reading, we read that Jesus taught (in the Sermon on the Mount):  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.  And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.   Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." . . . "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.  For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard by their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. "  My study bible says that vain repetitions cannot establish a communion with God, as God does not need our "babble."   It adds that in order to partake of this communion, both silence and words are needful.  Therefore, we pray always (Luke 18:1), and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Note that this is not a condemnation per se of many words but rather "vain repetitions" (emphasis mine).  What the Church has always understood -- and in all useful prayer practices -- is that words must express the desire for communion with God.  In today's reading, Jesus gives us specific words to repeat (which is known as the Lord's Prayer).   So it's not repetition which is condemned or forbidden, but rather vain repetitions.  My study bible adds that many psalms, prayers, and hymns of the Church have been repeated for countless generations in the worship of God "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  My study bible tells us that the Father-Son relationship within the Trinity is a revelation of our potential relationship with God.  Christ, as Son of God, grants us the privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).   As a  "son of God" (regardless of gender), each Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God as does Christ serve, trust, and love God the Father.  Note that God is not our Father simply because God has created us.  God is Father for those in a saving and personal relationship -- a communion that comes by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).  We are therefore to understand "sonship" as a status of being an heir.  In the context of Your name this is very important, as it indicates that status of an heir in a particular royal house; and that this house is honored as holy (hallowed).   This house is the kingdom of heaven, and we pray for our Father's royal will to be fully manifest on earth as it is in heaven.
  
"Give us this day our daily bread."  My study bible informs us that daily is a misleading translation of the Greek word epiousios/ἐπιούσιος.  This word literally means "above the essence," or "supersubstantial."  So when we read or say the phrase daily bread, we should understand it to mean not simply bread for today, and for earthly nourishment.  Rather this refers to the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, as my study bible beautifully puts it, which is for the nourishment of our immortal soul.  Of course, this living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself.  My study bible says that therefore in the Lord's Prayer, we are not asking merely for material bread for physical health, but rather for the spiritual bread of eternal life (John 6:27-58).   This bread is to sustain our life in the Kingdom.  Notable also is that this word appears nowhere in literature, contemporary or otherwise, and seems to have been coined specifically for the prayer given to us by Jesus.  This simply adds to our understanding of the uniqueness of what Christ offers, and asks us to pray for.  Of course, the echoes in the Eucharist are also clear here. 

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  This request to be forgiven is notably plural.  My study bible says that it directs us to pray always for the forgiveness of others.  The term debts is literally what is stated in the words of Christ reported in the Gospel, and it refers to spiritual debts.  To forgive a debt is to wipe it off the books, literally here the word means to "let go" or "release."

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  My study bible says that God tempts no one to sin (James 1:13).  Temptations are from the evil one, the devil.  It adds that temptations are aimed at the soul's giving in to the sinful passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5).  No one lives without encountering temptations, but we pray that great temptations -- or tests beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) -- should not come to us.  Let us note that we pray to be delivered from the evil one, and this would include all forms of evil.  This specific word for evil (or "the evil one") also literally means pain, or laborious trouble, that which gives misery.

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen."  This statement once again emphasizes the kingdom of our Father, and that it is God's power and glory which we seek, worship, commit to serve, and in which we desire to dwell.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."   My study bible comments here that Jesus insists on mutual forgiveness between people as a precondition of God's forgiveness.  Those who do not forgive are not forgiven.  This is a teaching which is repeated in the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21-35), which ends with the same teaching.  My study bible adds that to not forgive others is to willfully flee from the forgiveness of God for ourselves.  Let us note that here the word "trespass" is used where "debt" was used in the prayer.   Each is important to understand.  While debt is a kind of spiritual wound, trespass indicates a misstep, a lapse, falling away -- even something done unintentionally.

Jesus' prayer really gives us everything we need for our lives.  It is an essential prayer to say every day, and a good prayer for every day use.  Each phrase is meaningful, and sets us in a right place, a right orientation to our lives and to our faith.  In particular, it orients us to God our Father in the right way.  It is entirely in keeping with Jesus' teaching that rather than have us pray to Him in His specifically instructed prayer, we pray to the Father.  For not once during His entire time of ministry does He deviate from the important assertion that He is in the world to serve and to represent the Father, that even Christ's will and aim are not simply His own, but the will of His Father in heaven.  Therefore, His life was one of teaching us to do and serve the same, as "sons" of the Father by adoption, and therefore heirs in the kingdom of heaven.  This prayer emphasizes our sonship (again, regardless of our gender, and using language meant to teach us that we are heirs).  The use of the words "debt" and "trespass" I think warrants further attention, as they seem to describe with varied hidden implications different things.  A debt really indicates a kind of wounding or loss, something that has been taken from us that belongs to us.  We can think of this kind of debt as that which one might normally seek to avenge.  But we are asked to "let go."  To my mind, this does not imply that we are going to best friends with those who do us serious harm; a reconciliation process may be a long one.  But to let go of our debts and give them up to God our Father is essential for life in the Kingdom, because we really seek God's will in how we will live.  Therefore this aspect of the prayer is one that emphasizes letting go of purely worldly notions of vengeance or getting one's own back, and seeking to be directed through God's will for how we will live.  Furthermore, it is a liberation, for we are freed from concern for that debt in particular, and enabled to live more wholly and fully and from a better perspective.  It reinstates our personal integrity by letting go of what is essentially a loss or harm, just like businesses will often write off old debts to be unburdened of the toll.  So we are asked to "let go" -- especially indicative of letting go of collecting or exacting vengeance, returning the same to the one responsible for the debt.  Trespass indicates something less serious:  an error or misstep, something that causes a kind of offense but may even be unintentional, a mistake.  And these we are called to forgive as well, to let go.  Once again, Jesus emphasizes that this is a "deal" between our heavenly Father and ourselves.  It is a part of the communion of the Kingdom that we are forgiven as we forgive.   It is not a pact with the trespasser so much as it is one with our Father.  It seems to me that this emphasis is highly important, because it is a true way to freedom.  If we continue to nurse the debts or wounds we feel, or even the trespasses of others, we are always going to be miserable.  In the ancient systems of justice, one had to depend frequently on family or clan for the implementation of justice, and one can see how that could include traditions of vengeance and retribution to equal the insult or the harm.  But through Jesus' prayer, we are reminded that "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord (Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35).  Therefore what we seek to do is place all things in the hands of God, and to seek God's will for the best way to handle our difficulties, and to live our lives.  Effectively, this kind of forgiveness or letting go to God is a way to open up all possibilities, to become unlimited in seeking the best way to respond to any hurtful or difficult circumstance.  It opens us up to what is best, whether that be a step by step process to reconciliation, or a need for distancing, depending upon the problems (or even evil) we incur and suffer.  Let us consider also the importance of asking God to deliver us from evil (or the evil one).  This is a prayer not simply for deliverance but also for protection, and it is equally important to recognize that we don't live in a perfect world -- and our discipleship is not necessarily simple nor easy.  Let us keep in mind that Christ in this way prepares us for what we need.  In the wisdom of the Church, we are given what we need in this prayer, a gift from our Lord.  Let us pray it as often as needed, for it is not "vain repetition" to trust in Christ's prayer for us.  Rather, let it help us increase our understanding, and apply what it teaches to all that comes to mind and is in hearts, whatever that might be.

I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven

Christ the Good Shepherd c. 425 AD, Mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna

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 taught His 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 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."  My study bible says this expression, seventy times seven, is symbolic 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."  Ten thousand talents is described by my study bible as an impossible sum, more than a laborer could earn in several lifetimes.  A hundred denarii would be an important amount in a worldly perspective (about three months' wages, according to my study bible), but it's a tiny amount in comparison to the debt that was owed to the king.  In terms of our own "debts" as in the Lord's Prayer, God stays punishment and forgives the entire debt as well.  In turn, my study bible says, we are required to grant the gift of forgiveness to others.  Regarding the punishment first declared by the master ("his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made"), there is an additional spiritual interpretation found in patristic commentary.   In this perspective, the man represents the soul, the wife the body, and the children a person's works or deeds.  So therefore, in this punishment, the body and deeds are given over to slavery -- that is, to Satan -- so that the soul might possibly be saved (see 1 Corinthians 5:5).  This interpretation fits with the instructions that Christ gave in yesterday's reading for mutual correction in the Church, with separation from the Church as last resort -- a type of medicine to hopefully bring about reconsideration, repentance.

My study bible's mention of the spiritual interpretation of the punishment as initially given by the king is an interesting one, especially in light of the understanding from yesterday's reading -- that separation from the Church, as last resort for one who is unrepentant, is actually meant as corrective medicine.  In other words, such a state of separation, when all other means have failed, is thought to be the only experience that can bring about a reconsideration of one's acts, a change of mind (which is literally what the Greek word for repentance means).  In this case, we see that it immediately results in the repentance of the man who owed the king his huge sum, and he begs for forgiveness of the debt, and so immediately receives great mercy.  But his hardness of heart shows in his subsequent treatment of others, and so he eventually winds up with "torture" until all is paid, another symbolic representation of what it is to be cast out from the merciful life of the Kingdom and under the sway of the "ruler of this world."  Torture, after all, is what the devil does; the word for "evil" or "evil one" in the Greek (as used in the Lord's Prayer, when we pray "deliver us from evil") is πονηρός/poneros.  It literally means "pain" or "agony."  So what good could it possibly do, as in St. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 5:5, to "deliver one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh"?  In some sense, it reminds us of the "tough love" sometimes used in interventions for addiction as a last resort -- as when family members are asked to stop supporting a lifestyle that contributes to addiction.  The resulting difficulties will hopefully encourage the addicted person to recognize and come to terms with the dire nature of their circumstances and truly seek healing.  As we are in a season of giving thanks in some countries (in the United States, the Thanksgiving holiday is next week), and a time historically associated with harvest festivals and looking toward the celebration of the birth of Christ, it might be a perfect time to think about all the merciful things we receive through our faith that are so often easily overlooked.   Each of us has particular experiences of our faith, but if one looks back upon the loving nature of God experienced through Christ, then we may truly want to consider what it means to be inside of this loving embrace, as contrasted with living without it.  Through prayer, we may find that the hardness we experience in the world is ameliorated by the experience of love and even confidence we find in private time with our Lord.  Within the context of our faith, we find good guidance for our lives, medicines for dealing with setbacks and hardship, like, for example, the prescription of humility which has so many surprising benefits to our whole orientation in life.  Outside of such a gracious spiritual influence, we might find a seemingly enticing but entirely different experience of life where this mercy is missing.  It's easy to take for granted the love of God, but far less so when one has experienced life without it.   Like the Prodigal Son, our times of "torture" or pain when we're off the path God would set for us may come to be a good corrective influence.  Without benefit of the loving nature of the One who would set out to rescue the single straying sheep, we may come to know life only through the hardness of heart that seems at times to define the worldly.  The popular psychologist Dr. Phil describes a proper home as "a soft place to fall."  Everybody may not have this kind of worldly home, but within the loving embrace of God and God's extended family of the communion of saints, we all truly have such a home for our hearts, living and present and spiritually holding us.   Our own experience of life really depends on our awareness and potential for this realization.  So many must experience life without it in order to return and understand its true worth to them.  Let us be thankful for the grace of love which waits for us all, and informs us in turn of our own capacity to share that mercy with others.

You cannot serve God and mammon

El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), Christ Blessing, "The Savior of the World" c. 1600, National Galleries of Scotland

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

- Matthew 6:19-24

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 -7).  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:   "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.  For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."   What are treasures in heaven?  This statement comes immediately after Jesus' teaching on forgiveness, something that was emphasized twice in yesterday's reading, in which Jesus used the language of debt.  The implication seems to link our capacity for forgiveness with the treasures in heaven gained through faithful living.  My study bible says that through attachment to treasures on earth, people cut themselves off from heavenly treasures.  This becomes a slavish pursuit, as opposed to the freedom that we have in Christ (such as that freedom which forgiveness brings).  It adds that the heart of discipleship lies in first disentangling ourselves from the chains of earthly things (among which we could name the pursuit of retribution or revenge, for example), and attaching ourselves to God, the true treasure.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"   My study bible notes that the mind (nous in the Greek) is the spiritual eye of the soul.  It illuminates the inner person and governs one's will.  To keep our mind wholesome and pure, it says, is fundamental to the Christian life.  To keep one's eye "good" here, therefore, means that one's whole focus is on the good, the things of God.  This is again a subject that also links us back to mercenary, covetous, or envious thinking.  How do we see?  How do we look at others and at the world?

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  Here is another emphasis on the personal freedom that comes from pursuing spiritual truth as one's highest goal.  My study bible says that as slaves serving two masters, people try to maintain an attachment both to earthly and heavenly things.  But this isn't possible, because both demand full allegiance.  We will find this choice appearing again and again in our lives.  My study bible adds that Jesus calls mammon ("riches") a master not because wealth is evil by nature, but because of the control that it has over people.

What is it to be a slave?  One's will, one's choice is abrogated, taken on by others to whom one serves.  In the language of Jesus, in today's reading, slavery becomes something that steals one's soul away from oneself, taking away the freedom to choose.   In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke about forgiveness using the language of money, of accounting.  To forgive a debt is to wipe it off the books, so that it doesn't need fulfillment, one doesn't need to demand payment.  In today's reading, Jesus continues speaking about monetary matters, and forms of materialism.  He speaks of treasures on earth, and treasures in heaven.  How are we to understand these things?  If we look at life with a purely materialistic point of view, everything becomes a question of gain or debt.  This doesn't leave us free to consider what it is to forgive, or to forego material gain for the sake of spiritual gain.  It doesn't leave us with a free hand to consider what might be better for us in the long run, and those transcendent values that spiritual life gives us.  Perhaps there is no greater question to answer with regard to how we look at life  than the question of whether our higher allegiance is to God or to mammon.  (If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.)  This basic question which Christ poses to us in today's reading is really about priorities and variables open to us in our choices.  If my life is simply dependent upon whether or not I gain materially, then this tends to overlay all of my thinking about everything.  How many squabbles over inheritance take place not because there is an actual question of fairness, but because the priority of material value overshadows all other issues surrounding the death of a loved one?  Once we make mammon our top concern, then everything is subordinate to that priority, including relationships with family members -- and even the dying loved one.  Jesus links forgiveness (in language involving debt) to these words on a materialistic outlook vs. our allegiance to God because it still pertains to our capacities for real freedom of choice.  Can we forgive any debt, or are we obliged to "get our own back" no matter what?  Are we free enough to choose a better pursuit, something that will enrich us personally far more -- even in ways which are immaterial and intangible -- than simply pursuing what we think is owed to us because of unfair dealing?  What are we free for?  Everything here is finally about true freedom that trust in God can give us, and the slavery that a purely material mindset entails.  Can I choose to give to charity as much as I want to, even if it doesn't seem to make financial sense?  Can I give to someone in need because theirs is greater than mine, even if that doesn't make purely material sense in terms of my own assets?  Am I free to pursue the life God would ask of me, even if I will not immediately see a financial reward?  These questions aren't about money per se.  They are rather about our freedom to set our priorities, freedom of the slavery to mammon.  That slavery, as Christ says, is a darkness indeed, that covers our entire outlook.  In my own personal experience, I have found no question more incisive than the one Christ poses to us regarding allegiance to God or mammon, and none more absolute in terms of a difference in outlook regarding how we conduct our lives.  Let us remember that Jesus asks us not to forego wealth altogether, but rather to choose our master.  It is a question of what we seek first.  In John's Gospel, Jesus tells us that if we abide in His word, "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).   Let us ask ourselves whether or not an allegiance to material considerations alone opens up our possibilities for choice, or limits us to something with far less potential, and less desirable, than where God may lead us.     What is it we have to lose?