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.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  

 

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 

- Matthew 12:22-32 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus knew that the Pharisees have now begun to plot against Him to destroy Him, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out,  nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust."

 

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."   According to Fr. Stephen De Young (who has written a recent book on the ancient god Baal), Beelzebub is a deliberate corruption of the name "Beelzebul."  Beelzebul is the Greek transliteration of an Aramaic title for the god Baal, and its meaning is "Baal is lord" or "the great god Baal."  But Beelzebub is a title given by the Jews to ridicule the god Baal, and its meaning is "lord of the flies." Given Baal's association with the underworld, this could be a reference to rotting corpses, or possibly due to his image as that of a bull, with animal excrement; thus, "lord of the dung heap."  Baal was a god worshiped by the Philistines (see 2 Kings 1:2-16).  But here he is called ruler of the demons.  My study Bible comments that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus. 

 

 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."  My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  It says that a sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit is a blasphemy against the divine activity known from the Old Testament already to these men.  It will not be forgiven because it comes fro a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  But my study Bible adds that the Church Fathers are clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin'; nor does Jesus ever call this sin "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Christ makes this declaration in today's reading knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that by their own choice they are beyond repentance.

 

In the Nicene Creed, we call the Holy Spirit "the Lord, the Creator of Life."  Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13).  The Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit, with which all services are begun, reads as follows:  "Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all stain, O Good One."  Each of these things gives us a hint about the Holy Spirit.  Genesis 1:2 tells us, "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."  Thus we understand the Spirit as the One who gives life, who anointed Christ (an eternal reality made visible at His Baptism), who is active in the world and among us.  It is this activity of the Spirit, known to the Pharisees who now condemn Jesus' works as evil and demonic, that Christ says is a sin to condemn, to blaspheme.  To do so is an expression of hatred against goodness itself.  Perhaps we could call it the ultimate lie.  Why do people resist the good?  Why do people respond with hatred for what is good among them?  The answers to these questions may give us clues about what might be even a deeper mystery:  What is it that makes someone beyond repentance?  My study Bible says that Jesus makes this statement about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit knowing that, because of their choices, the men who make this accusation are now beyond repentance.  This implies that the power of our own minds, the power of our choices, can render us beyond help because we've gone so far down a particular trail that we will not perceive the options to reverse ourselves.  At least, this is the explanation that seems likely.  Perhaps we can be buried in our own thoughts of hatred and enmity so deeply that we no longer see clearly other possible options.  In the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, we're told that Pilate knew the religious leaders handed Christ over to him for crucifixion out of envy (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10).  In chapter 2 of the Wisdom of Solomon (also known as the Book of Wisdom), we read all about the hatred of the good, and the envy of the devil through which death entered the world (Wisdom of Solomon 2; see especially verse 24).  So out of envy, we know, such blind hatred can come that not only causes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but an enmity that has no capacity to turn itself around of its own power.  It is, perhaps, only a mind open to the Spirit which is capable of repentance, for the Spirit indwells us through Baptism, which begins our journey with Christ.  Jesus tells the disciples at the Last Supper that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, "because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17).  "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26).  Let us remember the Holy Spirit and the good works of God in our lives.  Only Christ can judge, for He is the One who knows people's hearts.  The good and true and beautiful path for the soul is to Him.   Let us pray that we always stay on it, and are guided back when we take the wrong way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do

 

 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."  And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."   But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

 

- Luke 23:32–43 

 

Yesterday we read that, as they led Jesus away to His crucifixion, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.  And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!'  Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" '  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"

 

There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  Calvary literally means "the skull."  My study Bible comments that being crucified between the two criminals shows Christ's complete identity with fallen humanity, and fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9-12.

 

 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  My study Bible says that this intercession is not only for those who sentenced and crucified Jesus, but for all of humanity -- a people who have no insight into the profound mystery of God's salvation.  He speaks these words not as a request, but with His divine authority.  So, therefore, my study Bible adds that their great sin would still have been forgiven the had they repented.  Notably, of course, one of the soldiers did repent (see verse 47) and he is considered a saint of the Church.  

 

 And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."   My study Bible notes that the repeated expression to "Save Yourself" is the continuing temptation of Satan to deter Jesus from completing His mission (see Luke 4:9-13).  

 

 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:  THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  According to my study Bible, this inscription was intended as an accusation and a mockery.  Instead it became a triumphant symbol that all nations would come under the reign of Jesus the King.  

 

 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."   But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."  My study Bible explains that the first of the criminals wanted to use Jesus to avoid responsibility for his actions, while the other accepts his sentence and asks simply to be remembered.  This latter way is the path to Paradise.  Jesus says, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise."  My study Bible comments that to be reconciled to Christ is to be in paradise immediately.  Moreover, the souls of the departed as in the presence of God and experience a foretaste of His glory before the final resurrection. 

 

 What is forgiveness?  What is a sin that is too great to forgive?  My study Bible explains Jesus' words as given in divine authority, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  In so doing, it notes that, while Christ's forgiveness is thereby extended to all and for all, it is nevertheless necessary that human beings repent in order to realize that forgiveness.  This is crucial to our understanding of our faith, for it forms the crux of Christ's very mission into our world as the human Jesus, the purpose for His death on the Cross, His Resurrection, and all the things on which our hinges our worship and faith.  Christ's forgiveness is extended to all, but nevertheless repentance is the way by which we are able to realize that forgiveness.  We ourselves -- like the repentant thief on the cross -- need to come to terms with the truth of our own errors and where and who we are in order to realize that forgiveness and find our way to Christ.  Our faith life is a question of returning to Him and His way for us, finding our way to be with Him in Paradise, as Jesus tells the repentant criminal.  For how could we be with Christ in Paradise if we're not prepared to recognize the things that keep us out -- our own sins and behavior?  How could we be with Christ in Paradise if we're not prepared to accept the reality of this authority, and to live the life in Paradise and compatible with its reality?  Forgiveness, in this understanding, is not merely a kind of blanket excuse for everything.  It's not stating that people have done nothing wrong, or committed no error or sin.  It's quite the opposite; it's an acknowledgement of the error and of the sin, but it is willing pardon for the effects of that sin, if there is repentance.  It is God's willing love for each of us to be where He is, to live that blessed life of Paradise, if we but make the choice to follow Him and to accept that forgiveness.  It is a declaration of His love, just as Christ's very life in this world is a declaration of that love:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17).  Christ's parable of the Prodigal Son, found only in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 15:11-32), teaches us this same understanding of repentance and forgiveness.  In that parable, the father of the Prodigal has always loved his son, has always desired his return.  But it's not until the son "came to himself" that he realized that life was so much better with his father, even for the lowest hired servants, than the life he had found by squandering his inheritance.  When he returns he tells his father he's not worthy to be called his son, and asks simply to be made a hired servant.  But instead his father runs to meet him, and calls for a banquet to rejoice "for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (Luke 15:24).  This is Christ's forgiveness, given to us all from the Cross, and with authority, so that each of us may come to Him and find ourselves, not as strangers but as sons of the Kingdom.  Let us open our eyes to His grace.  While many if not most of us are not guilty of such terrible sins, to repent is not merely to renounce a specific sin.  We turn to God for the things we "know not" -- the way God would lead us forward to Him and toward Paradise.  For this is repentance, or "change of mind" as the word literally means in Greek.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).  This is an ongoing, eternal, and infinite process.  Let us follow Him.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 "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.  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.  

"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."

 

- Matthew 6:1-16 

 

This week we have been reading through the Sermon on the Mount, in preparation for Lent, which begins next week.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let hi have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  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.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 

"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."  Today we begin chapter 6 of St. Matthew's Gospel.  In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents what my study Bible says are the three most basic aspects of spiritual living:  charitable giving; prayer; and fasting.  These three disciples relate directly to God's righteousness, the righteousness of the Kingdom.  The original meaning of "hypocrite" was "actor" (meaning "below the mask," as in the masks worn by actors in the ancient plays).  Hypocrites, my study Bible comments, are play-actors practicing piety for show; those who wish to please other people rather than God.  These are people who wear masks of compassion, but are inwardly heartless.  Their reward is the applause of other people and nothing more.  

"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."  My study Bible says that God is not impressed with what others think of us, nor by what we think of ourselves.  God will reward good deeds when they're based upon pure motives of the heart.  

"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.  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."   The hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, my study Bible says, which is an intimate and personal communion with God that leads to the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy blocks out this communion and this vision.  Vain repetitions don't establish such communion, as God doesn't need "babble."  To participate in this communion, both silence and words are necessary.  So, therefore we pray always (Luke 18:1), and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Christ isn't condemning the use of many words per se, my study Bible says, but rather is teaching that words must express the desire for communion with God.  In today's reading, He gives us specific words to repeat (the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father).  It's not repetition itself that is condemned, but rather vain repetition.  Many psalms, prayers, and hymns of the Church have been repeated for countless generations in the worship of God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).   True prayer, then, is not telling God what God already knows, and then telling God what to do about it.  Nor is it all about appearing pious before other people.  True prayer is first of all, humble (go into your room).  It is personal (pray to your Father), and also sincere (do not use vain repetitions).

 

 "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."  My study Bible explains that the Father-Son relationships within the Holy Trinity reveals our own potential relationship with God.  Christ, who is the Son of God, grants us this privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  As a "son of God" (regardless of human gender) a Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God as Christ does the Father.  We should also take note that God is not our Father just because we were created by God.  This Fatherhood is for those who are in a saving and personal relationship with God, which is a communion that only comes by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).  

"Give us this day our daily bread."  My study Bible explains to us that daily is a misleading translation of a Greek word ἐπιούσιος/epiousios which means literally "above the essence," or "supersubstantial."  The expression daily bread is therefore something that's not just a request for bread for the present day, for earthly nourishment.  This is a plea regarding the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, for the nourishment of our immortal soul.  This living, supersubstantial bread is nothing less than Christ Himself. 

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  The request to be forgiven here is plural; it is therefore directing us to pray always for the forgiveness of others.  Debts refers to spiritual debts.

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13); rather, temptations are from the evil one. That is, from the devil.  My study Bible describes temptations as that which are aimed at the soul's giving in to the sinful passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5).  No one lives without encountering temptations, it notes, but we pray that great temptations -- that is, tests which are beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) -- should not come to us.  

"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."  Christ here insists on mutual forgiveness between people as a precondition of God's forgiveness, my study Bible comments.  Those who do not forgive are not forgiven.  This is a teaching which Jesus repeats in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35), which Jesus concludes with the same teaching. 

"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."  To keep a sad countenance as a show of one's fasting is a kind of external display, but one which Jesus rejects as hypocrisy.  My study Bible comments that, for the one who fasts, the compassion of God outshines the physical discomfort.  Fasting, it says, is for spiritual growth and the glory of God, not done in order to be seen by others around us.  Also, we must keep in mind that fasting is not just about abstinence from food, but it's all about self-denial in any area of life in order to escape being controlled by our passions.  An Orthodox hymn sung on the eve of Great Lent declares, "Let us abstain from passions as we abstain from food."   St. John Chrysostom has written, "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?"

 

There are several aspects of self-denial we might want to focus on as we enter into the Lenten period.  For the Orthodox family of Churches, Lent begins on Monday.  For Western Churches, it begins on Wednesday.   Lent has historically been a period of abstinence and resisting temptation, echoed and patterned after Christ's forty days in the wilderness fasting and resisting the temptations of the devil (see Matthew 4:1-11).  Traditionally Lent was a time of abstinence and withdrawal.  In a sense, fasting is a period in which we refrain from ostentatious meals and time spent in pursuit of ingredients and preparation.  We're given to a kind of period of rest in which we refrain from some normal activities in order to focus more fully on our relationship to God. Thus, we develop the practice of almsgiving at this time, and of more time in prayer and study of our faith.  We both abstain and withdraw.  It's a way to practice the discipline of saying "No" to temptations, and at the same time to become more contemplative in pursuit of our faith and participation in that personal relationship with God that prayer is all about, as my study Bible commented.  We might consider refraining from social media for a time, or even the use of our cell phones, in a modern example of how we might decide to make forms of self-denial for Lent that open up more room for God, clear a space in our lives to focus on faith.  Historical practices of fasting in the Church focus essentially on a vegan diet; that is, one that does not consume animal products.  As Lent in some way reflects our earliest ancestor's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, so this is a time in which we seek to draw closer to God, to pursue restoration of our communion with God, and to make a concerted effort against our own sin, resisting our own passions, for of such consisted our separation from God in the first place.  These practices of discipleship are all meant to help to restore communion with God, and they are given to us by Jesus Christ who is Himself "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), who made possible our communion with God and adoption as sons (read "heirs") of God.  To understand abstinence in this sense of shoring up faith, seeking to restore communion, and to do the true spiritual battle of resisting our own temptations, is to stand in good stead with Christ's teachings in today's reading.  All of these things are meant to draw us into closer communion with God, more true reliance upon Christ, and to illuminate the ways God would ask us to change, even the temptations we aren't quite aware of in ourselves.  For as disciples we are called to grow, and blessed with the grace of Christ and the Holy Spirit to help us to know that path to a deeper communion -- even union -- with God.  Let us put His teachings into practice, and see where and how, and even the surprising places, they lead us.   Let us also consider the "hidden" nature of the practices Jesus advises, that this is a period where we withdraw from showing off our faith.  He tells us to do our praying, almsgiving and fasting in secret, and seek the reward our Father who is in the secret place, and who sees in secret gives us.  For this, too, is an essential part of growing in that communion, and resisting temptation. 

 

 

 

 

 

Who can forgive sins but God alone?

 

 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

 

- Mark 2:1–12 

 

Yesterday we read that, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue where Jesus had been preaching (and cast out a demon), they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. Now in the morning, having arisen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

  And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"  My study Bible emphasizes in ts comments that, as shown by this healing of the paralytic, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  Faith, we understand, is collective as well as personal, because the faith of the friends of the paralytic (the four men who carried him) helped in his healing.  It notes three signs of Christ's divinity on display.  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30).  Second, He forgives sins, which is a power belonging to God only.  And finally, He heals by the power of His word.  My study Bible further elaborates on the fact that one purpose of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins, which frees humanity from its bondage.  It notes that to forgive sins is a greater power than physical healing.  As the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  So, therefore, it is the easier task to grant physical healing.  Although Christ is fully God and He holds the authority to forgive, to heal this man is to condescend to those gathered in order to draw people to God, whom they then glorified.

In a worldly perspective, we would see the healing of this paralytic as truly a more extraordinary power than forgiving sins.  But from a perspective that includes some sense of the reality of God, the forgiveness of sins is more extraordinary, as noted by my study Bible (see commentary above).  Perhaps in our modern world, we take forgiveness for granted, as in what is now frequently called a "post-Christian" culture, we are inculcated into a sense in which for centuries we have prayed the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father, which was given to us by Jesus, and in and through which we are taught to forgive as we are forgiven.  Forgiveness can be a tricky problem, as we don't necessarily think of it in the correct paradigm of understanding God's forgiveness as first and primary, and our own as something which is secondary to God's.  Christ teaches, in giving that prayer, that we can't ourselves realize God's forgiveness without being forgiving ourselves.  But the primary judge, our Lord, is the One who is the true arbiter of such forgiveness, as He shows in today's reading.  Once again, we may turn to the paradigm and culture of the ancient Jews which existed at the time of Christ, the context in which this event took place, and within which Christ so stuns the scribes in today's reading.  As discussed in yesterday's commentary, the system of sacrifices and institutions of the temple were a process whereby the people not only could understand what sin was, but in and through which they were reconciled to God.  Christ's remarkable forgiveness then, comes as a shock indeed to the scribes, for how could a man forgive sins?  Or, as they ask here, significantly, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  Indeed, and therein is the riddle that poses the question of just who Christ is.  Who is this Son of Man, as He refers to Himself?  And we know the answer, that Christ is both fully human and fully God.  It's within this understanding that the greater power is to forgive sins, but to express also the truth of the Son of Man, a miraculous healing is also given, expressing concretely the identity of the One who is present to them in a "worldly" sense that can be perceived and understood.  But if we don't have the mind and the understanding of the truth of the spiritual reality behind Christ and within which our world is created and known by God, then we moderns fail to understand the real impact of sin and its detriments to us.  Is it possible that this paralytic suffers from something sinful that has affected his condition?  This is possible, but one thing is clear:  although he suffers physically, he is still in need of forgiveness for his sins, and this is the great grace of God, and our Lord Christ, in response to the faith of his friends who help to carry him.  In the same way, we can pray for our friends and help to "carry" them to Christ.  Moreover, it's helpful to understand that in the tradition of the Church, paralysis is often seen as a metaphor for the condition of being "stuck" in a sin, unable to repent -- or to change -- that is, to get past it, to grow.  For sin is like paralysis, like slavery, as my study Bible describes it.  We are stuck in a repeated pattern, perhaps even despite our best efforts, and we need help to break it.  For that also, the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a gift of Christ and His Incarnation into the world, so that we have a Helper.  We might, today, take for granted this possibility of forgiveness, but for those who have experienced the freedom of God's forgiveness, the effect upon the soul and upon our lives is boundless, for we are set free to live differently, to establish something good in our lives, to live as we are taught to live in Christ's light.  Let us consider the power of God to forgive, for it is also the power to liberate us, to set us free from our paralysis within something detrimental to ourselves and our mental, physical, and spiritual health.  Let us also glorify God in return.

Increase our faith

 

Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his  neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those thing which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.'"

 

- Luke 17:1–10 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus told the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus:  "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'   Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'" 

Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his  neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."  My study Bible comments that little ones refers primarily to children, and by extension to anyone whose heart is humble and dependent upon God.  Let us be aware that this is a teaching addressed to the disciples once again, and it speaks to the use of power in the Church to come.  In that context, little ones is a term that includes those who are in of lesser stature, including social stature or community standing.  Over the course of the past two chapters,  Jesus has been responding to criticism from the Pharisees and scribes, who complained that He received and ate with tax collectors and sinners.  His parables over the past several readings have alternatively been addressed to the Pharisees and to the disciples.  After teaching the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, directed at the Pharisees (see above), Jesus now turns once again to the disciples.

"Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."   For more on this practice, see also Matthew 18:21-35.  Seven times a day uses the number seven, a symbol of completion or fullness, here indicating an unlimited amount.  This teaching is another indication of the need for humility in leadership, not to abuse power or authority. 

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."   Perhaps the apostles' request to the Lord, "Increase our faith,"  is a direct indication of the difficulty of the teaching on unlimited forgiveness for all of us. 

 

So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  My study Bible comments that the mulberry tree is symbolic of the devil's works.  It's on the leaf of this tree that silkworms feed.  As worms are an image of hell and death (Mark 9:42-48), so its association with the devil.  This patristic interpretation is confirmed, my study Bible adds, by numerous scriptural images of evil being destroyed in the sea (Luke 8:33; Exodus 14:27; Matthew 21:21; Revelation 20:10). 

 

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not."   My study Bible suggests that the servant plowing is mentioned first and the one tending sheep second, showing that we must first work our own salvation (Philippians 2:12) before we can become shepherds (as the apostles will be) to others.

 

"So likewise you, when you have done all those thing which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.'"  This word translated as unprofitable literally means "without merit" or possibly "useless").  But it doesn't indicate something without intrinsic value.  It means that everything we have comes from God and is owed back to God.  Whatever we might offer to God, already belongs to God.  

We might be puzzled by the final verse in today's reading.  But it is more easily understood if we consider that our precious life -- especially the life everlasting offered to us by Christ -- is of so much more substance than we could ever offer in return to God.  In this context, we can also consider the Passion toward which Christ journeys on this road to Jerusalem, and what He will do for us, and how that compares to anything we could do for Him.  God's love and mercy, and the life more abundantly that His own "work" and sacrifice as Suffering Servant will bring to us is incomparable in value to what we as servants could possibly do for the Lord in return.  As we have discussed over the course of the past several readings and commentary, this language once again touches on terms the reflect the concept of "debt," for the Greek word translated as "unprofitable" indicates a lack of capacity to repay.  If indeed we consider that faith as a mustard seed can be so powerful, then truly the faith with which we're blessed is something we don't have the power to repay, for we haven't got the capacity to give a gift on that same order of merit or worth.  So God's love and mercy -- and the commands which lead us into the life of the Kingdom -- are things for which we can't create substance of equal quality or value.  Our sense of what is most precious must be adapted in order to correctly esteem the value of such a life, and so we are prepared to be humble and to forgive, for we receive so much more in return from God.  From where I sit, following the commands of God has only added to my life in this world as well, for to follow His truth is indeed to find freedom in the sense of finding the way to carry one's cross, and to be relieved of false burdens under a much harsher yoke (John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30).  Let us be like the disciples, and demand of the Lord, "Increase our faith."  For this is the place where we receive far more than we can ever pay in return.  

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.  

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 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."

- Matthew 6:7-15 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, the lectionary gave us Matthew 6:1-6 and verses 16-18, Christ's teachings on almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.  "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 for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."  Note that the emphasis here is on vain repetitions.  In this Christ continues His teaching against hypocrisy, and the need for true communion with God (as opposed to the wearing of a mask, which hypocrisy implies).  Therefore vain repetitions cannot establish this communion; as my study Bible puts it, God does not need our babble.  In order to partake of this communion with God, both silence and words are necessary.  So, therefore, we are to pray always (Luke 18:1) and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  This is not a condemnation of many words, but rather Jesus is teaching that words must express the desire for communion with God.  In today's reading, Jesus gives us specific words to repeat.  My study Bible reminds us that it is not repetition itself that is condemned but rather vain repetitions, as Christ desires sincerity in prayer.  Many psalms, prayers, and hymns of the Church have been repeated for countless generations in the worship of God "in spirit and 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 says that the Father-Son relationship within the Trinity reveals our potential relationship with God.  Christ, the 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" a Christian person is called to love, trust, and serve God the same way that Christ does the Father.   We don't call God our Father because God created us; God is Father to those in a saving and personal relationship.  This  communion comes only by grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).

"Give us this day our daily bread."  My study Bible explains that daily is a misleading translation of the Greek word epiousios/ἐπιούσιος, which means literally "above the essence," or "supersubstantial."  The expression daily bread is an indication of not simply bread for this day, for earthly nourishment.  This is the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, something that nourishes our immortal soul.  My study Bible tells us that this living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself.  Therefore, in the Lord's Prayer, we're not just asking for material bread for physical health, but rather for the spiritual bread of eternal life (John 6:27-58).  

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  This request to be forgiven is plural ("our debts"), my study Bible points out, and so it directs us to pray always for the forgiveness of others.  These debts are spiritual debts (see Matthew 18:21-35).  

"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."   My study Bible comments that God tempts no one to sin (James 1:13).  But temptations are from the evil one, the devil.  They 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, tests beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), should not come to us.

 

 "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."  Here, a depth of insistence on mutual forgiveness between people, as a precondition of God's forgiveness.  My study Bible comments that those who do not forgive are not forgiven -- period.  This teaching is repeated in the parable of the unforgiving servant found at Matthew 18:21-35, which concludes with the same teaching.  My study Bible adds that to not forgive others is to willfully run from the forgiveness of God for ourselves.  

 

We note the emphasis Jesus places on forgiveness.  But if we look closely at Christ's behavior, we will see what that means.  Jesus did not apparently go around seeking retaliation upon anyone who opposed Him.  If we look at this passage, we'll see that some of His disciples felt it might be important to cast fire upon those who would not receive Christ on His way to Jerusalem.   But Jesus' reply to John and James Zebedee was, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them."  If we think about that more deeply, then we start to understand the direction of Christ's teachings.  He does not say that these villagers were right to refuse them, but He upholds what He had taught before that, when the disciples were sent upon their first mission:  that they were to shake the dust off their feet in places that refused them, as a rebuke (see Matthew 10:14).  Luke's story about the journey toward Jerusalem does not tell us if Jesus paused to do this, and we should consider what was particularly important about that trip toward the Cross and the events of Holy Week.  Jesus was still proclaiming the Gospel to the people of God, in His own mission to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, despite the fact that He was shortly to be killed.  But throughout Christ's ministry, and in particular in the final week of His life, Christ showed us that a refusal to enact retribution does not mean that we compromise on truth.  He spared no words in condemning hypocrisy and cruelty.  In His actions, He repeatedly defied those with hearts hardened, even as they claimed they were defending the religious Law (given, in fact, by Christ, the Logos, the Lord of the Old Testament).  In this Gospel, we will read Matthew's full recording of Christ's condemnation of the religious leaders and their practices (Matthew 23).  Jesus did not shirk from telling the truth.  There are times when we think in our personal lives that not speaking out is a form of forgiveness.  But again, in this Gospel, Jesus gives a formula for mutual correction in the Church (Matthew 18:15-20).  In that teaching it is clear communication that is the method for resolving precisely the type of spiritual "debts" He's instructed us to pray about in today's reading.  But taken altogether, forgiveness does not mean simple forgetting.  St. Paul will also speak of those who sin within the church, and who refuse repentance.  For something Paul found particularly scandalous, He taught the congregation to "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."  What this means is to set the person apart from the Church, for life outside of the communion -- the experience of a life without Christ's protective presence against the evil in which he's participating -- may work to bring him back to salvation.   So we are to understand forgiveness in the context of the Gospels and of Christ's life and teachings, including as understood by St. Paul.   So far in the Sermon on the Mount, we've been taught about meekness and the poor in spirit, we've been taught about the dangers of anger and angry words, about swearing oaths, about covetousness and lust.  As followers of Christ, we have been warned against all of these things, and taught to turn the other cheek.  But this does not stop us from knowing and living the truth, and understanding the capacity for evil around us, and harmful acts.  Neither does it mean that we don't identify such things.  What is quite important is that we don't mistake forgiveness for an encouragement to participate, even through association, with bad acts and corrupting behaviors.  It's important -- even together with forgiveness -- that we disassociate ourselves from the kinds of behaviors that do harm.  For this is what St. Paul teaches us, that even to respect our very incarnational reality, even the holiness of our bodies and created matter (creations of God), means to seek a purposeful living, mindful of what we agree to and participate in.  We're not simply spirits or souls which are dissociated from our bodies.  Rather, we're in the world to "sacramentalize" it; that is, to hand it all over to God, to give ourselves to this purpose, for God's love to set in good order as opposed to the chaos that destroys life.  When Jesus teaches us about forgiveness, He is teaching, effectively, just that:  that even our conflicts and hurts are given up to God, so that God may guide us in response, rather than a sense of vengeance or other harmful passions.   For this is what God's peace is all about.  This is what it means to be "sons of God."