Gospel: Matthew
18:21-35
Peter approached
Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I
forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven
times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the
accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since
he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with
his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that,
the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I
will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let
him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of
his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and
started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees,
his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed,
and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him
and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because
you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had
pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until
he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless
each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
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Reflection:
Why is it that many
of us are not able to forgive? This is for the reason that we think highly of
ourselves and we think that we are superior than the person who sinned against
us. Unforgiveness also emanates from our arrogance, pride and lack of humility.
Unforgiveness is also a sign that we love ourselves more than we love Jesus if
at all we love Jesus.
If we truly love
Jesus and if we really are humble we would be forgiving no matter how deep the
wound that had been inflicted upon us. For example, if a wayward spouse would
ask for forgiveness we would think deeply upon it and would eventually
forgive.
If we would continue
to provide safe harbor for hatred and unforgiveness in our hearts, we are only
creating an invisible prison cell within ourselves. Prison cell that
perpetually punish and enslave us.
In our gospel, Peter
asked Jesus: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive
him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times
but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-22). This simply means that forgiveness
should be never-ending or limitless.
Those who are truly
humble and those who truly love Jesus are the ones capable of unlimited
forgiveness. Otherwise we simply are great pretenders: Pretenders to be humble
and lovers of Jesus. – Marino
J. Dasmarinas
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