Reflection for March 9 Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent: Matthew 18:21-35

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:

Do you easily forgive?  

In our gospel there is a servant who asked to be forgiven for the huge amount that he owed from his lord, so he was forgiven. Yet when he met the person who owed him a much lesser amount, he demanded for the debt to be paid back to him.  

Perhaps many of us are like this servant who asked for forgiveness from his Lord and Master. We ask for forgiveness from Jesus from all of our sins, yes we submit ourselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But do we truly live this forgiveness that we have received from Jesus? Do we pay forward this forgiveness that we have received from Jesus?  

When we forgive we free ourselves from the imprisonment of anger and hatred. Just imagine if we have anger in our hearts we carry this burden that does no good to us except to heighten our blood pressure. Why not let bygones be bygones and forgive and forget and move on without carrying a heavy burden in our hearts?  

We only are punishing ourselves if we don’t forgive. And we only leave a devious space for the devil to dwell when we don’t forgive. Let us always learn from Jesus who is always forgiving. Let us learn from Jesus who doesn’t keep any record of wrong in His heart.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas