Matthew 18:21-35
2 1Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.
28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
“As we forgive those who sin against us”
Today's Gospel is the last paragraph of Jesus' teaching about His church membership and its interconnected moral relationships. After His insistance on the dialogue and the endeavors to restore peace and communion among its members, Jesus culminates His teaching on the principle and practice of forgiveness, which is the core of His mission.
Peter's question in v. 21 is very meaningful. He seems generous by proposing to forgive up to seven times. His proposal doubles the number of times of forgiveness as mentioned in the Old Testament, which is three times and exceptionally four. Amos 1 says, “Because of the three great sins….make that four…” The Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 2:9 says, "A person should attempt to obtain forgiveness three times, after which the sin is "on" the person who refuses to grant forgiveness." Let us join Peter today and reflect with him about Jesus' response.
What is forgiveness for Jesus? It is the ultimate call of God's presence in human conscience. It empowers love to overcome hatred and grace to uproot sin. Forgiveness is a divine power not only to forgive but also to forget sins committed against us. It is not only the capacity to overcome sin, but also to cleanse hearts and minds from the residue of sin.
To forgive is to liberate one's own being from hatred, vengeance and to inhale a breeze of enjoyable freedom. This is why St. Paul praises it as a fruit of love, "Love is patient...it does not dishonor others... it keeps no record of wrongs, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
We are invited to reflect on these seeds of contemplation, trying honestly to examine our personal acceptance or refusal of Jesus' answer to Peter, "Not seven times...but seventy-seven times!" (v. 22).
It is not the number that matters, but rather the theological and spiritual dimensions in the life of the believer so that she/he may be truthful in her/his prayer. “Forgive us our sins as we have already forgiven to those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12.
Let us end our reflection by reading again this Sunday Gospel, Mathew 6:9-14, and Corinthians 13:4-7. To sin is human, to forgive is divine. Without God's grace, we cannot do it!