Forgive Us Our Debts: Matthew 18: 21-35

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“Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”

The debtor in today's parable could just as easily be one of us. Like so many people today, he is living with a crushing debt burden, when suddenly called to account. To his great relief, the debtor's day of judgment is postponed. The king shows leniency and suspends the payment. It's as if the debtor has received a mortgage workout from the local banker.

When the debtor in the parable learns of his good fortune, he reacts in a surprising way; instead of being grateful, he is angry and quick to blame his troubles on someone else. He demands immediate and full repayment of a debt that is owed to him. Far from being lenient, he throws the other debtor in jail. His unwillingness to forgive, as he had been forgiven, became his undoing. As soon as the Lord learned what he had done, the debtor was thrown into prison.

Lewis Smedes once said, "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

In today's Gospel, Peter asks Christ whether he must forgive his brother seven times only to be told, ‘. . . not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’

A few years ago, the University of Michigan decided to find out just how willing we are to forgive our brothers and sisters. The answer wasn't seventy times seven. It turns out that 53 percent of us carry a toxic grudge of some kind. We just can’t let go of the need to get even.

As one man told the researchers, "I don't mind burying the hatchet just so long as the handle is still sticking out."

In the same survey, 43 percent of the respondents said they could never forgive someone else. Yet, 70 percent felt God had forgiven all their sins. Not so, Jesus says in today's parable. We'll be forgiven to the degree that we forgive others.

Forgiving is not the same as excusing. It’s not a question ignoring, condoning or diminishing the wrong that was done. That would not be true to yourself. Rather, it is a question of acknowledging the hurt and refusing to let it sully your soul.

Forgiveness is not only good for the soul; it's also good for the body. The researchers discovered that those who freely forgave had fewer headaches, back aches, stomach aches, colds and bouts of the flu.

Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. It's the freedom to open a clenched fist and let go of white-knuckle anger. It's the power to release the past and the freedom to embrace the present.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

The lord of that servant, being 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 shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.

So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.