“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Often, on NPR, the first response to a question is, “That’s a good question!” I hear it so often I wish they'd ban that response! Bleep it out or something!
When I read Saint Peter’s question, I think, “That’s the Question!” And it’s the right question because it’s on all our minds. Must I forgive? Really?
The word grace comes from the Latin gratia, meaning free. One who gives graciously gives freely; one who dances gracefully moves freely. God gives grace because God is free, and we experience God’s freedom especially in his superabundant generosity. The measure of one’s freedom is how generously one gives.
This is where Jesus is coming from. The superabundant Word of God knows God’s infinitely gracious mercy. He knows that no one can outdo the Lord in generosity; and the more we give, the more we receive.
Today’s parable perfectly fits the teaching. Here’s a gentleman who has been shown extraordinary mercy. He owes a huge amount and the master knows he can never pay it back. It simply won’t happen. But the foolish servant is in denial. He says, “Just give me time and I will pay you back in full!”
“No, you won’t. It’s not going to happen. Forget about it. I cancel your debt!”
In terms of this story the master can do that. He absorbs the loss and goes on with his life. I have heard there are people like Bill Gates who are so absurdly wealthy that, even when they dedicate all their time to philanthropy and give billions away, they continue to get richer. The master in this story has that kind of wealth.
In Jesus’s parable this gentleman has received astonishing mercy but, for whatever reason, he does not appreciate it. Perhaps he is humiliated by the memory of his begging for mercy. Perhaps he thinks he pulled a fast one on his foolish superior. He clearly does not understand that his reality has changed, and his behavior must also change. And, for that reason, he will be handed over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. He must pay back the debt that had been cancelled!
Baptized Christians should cultivate a deep and thorough appreciation of their changed reality. Recipients of enormous grace show enormous grace to others. They give graciously because they know from personal experience, “There’s more where that came from!” This spiritual assurance of mercy must saturate their waking and sleeping hours and appear in their routine habits and behavior.
This is the perfection Jesus speaks of when, in the Sermon on the Mount, he declares. "You shall be perfect as your father is perfect." It is not by definition unattainable; and today’s parable serves as a severe warning that we should pay attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.