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Then 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?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

"For this reason the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 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. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of the slave released him and forgave him the debt. 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.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 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. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Theme

Forgiveness is a virtue in short supply these days. Contemporary society tells us that one's pride cannot expose the humility needed to express sorrow for what one has done. Similarly, many of us hold grudges and deep hurts from the past and we refuse to let go. True forgiveness means that we leave all our pre-held prejudices, hurts, and indiscretions behind and move on to a new relationship with God and God's people. God willingly and without price forgives anyone who seeks reunion with him. God was the one who first loved us and asks us to love in return. In a similar way, God's unlimited forgiveness to us must be shared without reservation or need for return. We must forgive as God has forgiven us.

Spiritual Food For The Journey

Reconciliation is the concept of being reunited, of taking what is fractured and again making it whole. God created us in an imperfect, incomplete, and broken state. Thus, there is never a time that a human does not need reconciliation to bind up what has been scattered in our lives, whether that be people, promises, commitments, injuries of the heart or mind, or broken dreams.

Reconciliation is a process, like life itself, and it cannot be experienced completely unless the pattern is followed. First, we must become reconciled with ourselves. If we cannot believe that we are good, holy, and worthy of God's grace, then we will never fully understand our need to seek God. It is not easy to forgive oneself, but it is an essential first step. Next, we need to forgive and be forgiven by our neighbor. Life brings so much heartache in relationships with others. Sometimes the pain is great and felt very deeply. Reconciliation is required to reverse trends toward estrangement which make pain persist. We need to be vulnerable to recognize our own faults and allow others to know that we realize our guilt. Concurrently we must be compassionate enough to allow others to humble themselves before us and ask our forgiveness. Once we have forgiven ourselves and one another, then we are ready to accept the magnificent and unlimited forgiveness of God.

Reconciliation is absolutely essential to the Christian life. The incompleteness of humanity naturally seeks wholeness and healing, things that can ultimately only be found in an ongoing and growing relationship with God. Mercy and judgment are the prerogatives of God and they are exercised now and at the hour of our death and judgment. Let us accept God's unlimited forgiveness and in turn demonstrate like action toward our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Application Of The Parable To Contemporary Life

Sermon Openings
1. Webster's Dictionary defines the concept of equilibrium as a static or dynamic state of balance between opposing forces or actions. There are many examples of equilibrium around us that are so obvious we never give them a second thought. For example, here I am standing before you. Why don't I sink into the floor? Why am I not floating in the air? You probably will answer: well, that is obvious, I am standing on the floor and the floor is supporting me. This is certainly true. Science tells us, however, that the process is a bit more complicated. Physicists say that the floor pushes up on my feet as much as and in the opposite direction of my weight or mass which pushes down. Thus, I am not moving up or down; I am in a state of equilibrium.

What about all of you? The process of equilibrium can be applied to you as well. You are all able to sit, without falling, without floating in the air, because the pew upon which you are sitting pushes up to support your weight which pushes down.

There are many other examples of equilibrium which we could mention. We know that oil and water do not mix; the oil will rest on top of the water. Why is this? It is because the oil is less dense. This is the state of equilibrium between oil and water. However, if we were to dissolve some sugar in the oil and water combination the equilibrium would change. Try it some time; see what happens. If we squeeze a rubber ball we see it compress; if we let go it will expand. Equal and opposite forces keep the ball in a state of equilibrium.

If we lose our state of equilibrium we have problems. If we walk on soft ground or mud we begin to sink. If we sit on an unstable chair or bench we may fall. If we squeeze something too hard, it will not regain its former shape.

One might ask, why all this talk of equilibrium? I think equilibrium is a good way of describing the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation of which our Gospel passage speaks this day. Clearly we hear that forgiveness must be kept in balance or equilibrium in order to be effective.
We need to forgive others as God has forgiven us.

2. Have you ever taken a course of action or held a particular attitude, all the while thinking that it was correct and then never giving it another thought? That is what happened with Ludovico Gadda, Pope Leo XIV. Ludovico was born in a small Italian town, like many of the popes, all from Italy, who have occupied the Chair of Saint Peter since the time of the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. It seemed that Ludovico was destined for ministry and priesthood from his earliest days. He was ordained and lived a very traditional life as a parish priest. He lived by the canons and doctrines of the faith. Ludovico was good at what he did. Thus, he was made bishop of the diocese. Later he was moved to a larger metropolitan area and was made archbishop. Still later he was made a cardinal and finally he was elected Pope. The people in Ludovico's hometown were not that surprised by the course of events.

Upon assuming the Chair of Peter, Ludovico, who took the name of Leo XIV, was invested with much power and authority. The power he held was beneficial to some but it was highly detrimental to others. Like all of us, the Pope had an agenda. He took a course of action; he held certain attitudes and opinions. The problem was that he never reflected on his actions and attitudes. He never considered the possibility that he was hurting others by what he did or thought.

What would it take for him to change? For Ludovico it would be a bout with serious illness. Chest pains landed the Pope in the hospital. Doctors told him he needed heart bypass surgery. The thought of such major surgery placed the Pope in a more contemplative mood. He began to think about his life and what he had done. He began to realize that he might have hurt others. He knew that he needed to change, to find healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation. But for Pope Leo XIV it would be too late. His inability to look into his heart would prove fatal. He would be assassinated by the very people he had hurt before he had the opportunity to change his ways.

So goes in summary the last of Morris West's trilogy of novels which describes popes and faith. The name of the book is Lazarus. Morris West's tale is a good example of what our Gospel describes -- namely, that we need to look into out hearts, see if wrong has been done, and then seek forgiveness and reconciliation if needed.

Points Of Challenge And Questions To Ponder

1. Can we humble ourselves before the Lord and God's people to seek forgiveness? Do we realize our absolute need for God's mercy in order to gain wholeness?

2. Do we hold deep-seated and painful prejudices against others? Do we have the ability to leave our past baggage at the front door as we enter into a new realm of mercy and forgiveness? Can we move out of the past into the future?

3. Are we too proud to allow others to gain access to us? Do we keep barriers of past experience in place so that others may not cross and find the wholeness, the reconciliation they seek with us?

4. Do we break the chain of reconciliation at some stage? Can we forgive ourselves and others? Will we allow ourselves to give and accept forgiveness?

5. Many times we seek God's forgiveness for what we have done. We are truly penitent in our cry. But are we in sufficient balance to realize our need to forgive others from our hearts?

Exegesis And Explanation Of The Parable

Matthew 18:21-35 is divided into two sections: a question and response, and a parable of unlimited forgiveness that demonstrates God's munificence and our need to respond. In verses 21 and 22 Peter asks the Lord how often he must forgive when one sins. Behind this inquiry are two possible concerns, one that focuses on the offended party and the other on the offender. Human experience suggests that there is a limit to patience with misbehavior. Peter may be asking Jesus: If one insults me repeatedly, must I continue suffering the indignity? He may also be asking: Is it in the best interests of my brother or sister for me to tolerate such actions when it is clear that repentance is superficial and there is no intent to change?

Jesus' response to Peter addresses neither issue, but rather transposes the problem from the sphere of an ordinary relationship to another realm. The Lord's response provides the theological grounding for unlimited forgiveness. Jesus speaks of infinity in his answer to how often one must forgive. In Jewish tradition the numbers seven and ten represented completion. Thus, Jesus is saying that one must be forgiving as the result of completion times completion plus completion -- an infinite number of times. Certainly the 77 times is an allusion to Genesis 4:24 where Lamech boasts that he will avenge anyone 77 times who dares attack him. Thus, at this point forgiveness is juxtaposed to revenge. Followers of Jesus are thus exhorted to renounce the very human intention of "getting even" with someone who specifically injures them.

The actual parable, verses 23 to 35, has been identified by many biblical scholars as a story derived from Oriental (thus Gentile) images, a method used to contrast sharply Christian attitudes with those of pagans. In three parts the Eastern parable describes how a sultan handles accounts with his administrative officials. An audit discovers that one official, possibly a satrap from a wealthy province, has embezzled an immense amount. Because restitution is impossible, due to the size of the debt, the sultan orders that the offender be sold, along with his family, into slavery, a punishment more demeaning than execution. After the official pleads for mercy, however, the sultan reverses himself and sets the scoundrel free. In the second part of the story the official is now a creditor, not a debtor. A fellow administrator is delinquent in a small loan, one that is payable -- a highly significant detail in the tale. The pardoned embezzler stands on his rights and will tolerate no breach to the contract, even with the minor official's plea. In the last scene other officials, appalled at the embezzler's treatment of his fellow administrator, report the whole incident. In his anger the sultan again changes his mind and turns the embezzler over to the torturers.

The vivid scene depicted by Matthew accentuates the contrast between God's infinite love and mercy and human impatience and unwillingness to forgive. Jesus uses the parable to tell Peter something very important about the magnitude of God's forgiving love toward sinful humans. Human iniquity is beyond the numerical count of 77, and thus God's mercy must be infinitely greater. The depth of God's mercy simply cannot be measured.

Scripture exegetes today emphasize that this parable was proclaimed not to emphasize repeated forgiveness, but unlimited forgiveness, for the debt of the embezzler is so great it cannot be repaid. The sum of 10,000 talents for the first readers or hearers of the parable could be equated for Americans today to an annual corporate or state budget -- a sum beyond the capability of any one person. Despite the amount, the debt is written off without condition. Clearly Matthew wants his readers to know that followers of Jesus must act in a similar way in their relationships with one another. Those who wish to be part of the Kingdom must imitate the incalculable patience and unlimited forgiveness of God.

Commentators compare the virtues of mercy and justice as they are presented in the parable. The Jews were well versed in the mandate from the Hebrew scriptures to exercise mercy and compassion. Exodus 22:25-27, which details proper practices for loans, is one illustration of mercy. Justice was expressed in a variety of ways. The demands of the Year of Jubilee, for example, were emphasized. During this year land belonging to the dispersed was returned to the original owner and people in slavery were freed. The Jew of Jesus' day realized that mercy and justice could not be treated separately; they were interrelated. It is for this reason that Jesus tells this parable of unlimited forgiveness. In the parable the embezzler could not forgive; he applied the principle of justice without mercy. Jesus teaches his followers that the exercise of mercy is not an occasional setting aside of justice, but rather, mercy and justice must be applied together.

This parable appeals to the basic nature of God. To deny the validity of the principles of mercy, forgiveness, and patience in our human affairs is to deny the nature of God and to shut ourselves off from the Creator's love. God cannot overlook an opportunity to demonstrate mercy, for any other response is contrary to his nature. God's grace and mercy are incalculable; God accepts the sinner as if no offense had been committed. Just as we cannot earn God's favor, so we need not be concerned about God's mercy; it is ever present. Yet, the Lord expects us to treat others with mercy and forgiveness as God has loved us. Only by becoming like children and placing utter dependence upon God will we be able to transcend human wisdom and find the capability to forgive like God.

This parable is understood by several scholars to be eschat-ological in nature. It combines an exhortation with a warning based on mercy and forgiveness. Jewish apocalyptic literature taught that God rules the world by the two measures of mercy and judgment, but at the Last Judgement God only makes use of judgment. Jesus, on the other hand, taught that the virtue of mercy was also in force at the time of the Parousia and final judgment. The basic question for readers thus was: when at the Last Judgment does God demonstrate mercy and when does he exercise judgment? Jesus answers that where God's forbearance produces a readiness to forgive, there God's mercy grants forgiveness of debts again. The one, however, who abuses God's gift of mercy faces the full severity of judgment, as if forgiveness had never been granted. The point of the parable is clear: the only hope we have for God's grace must be found in our willingness, in our own environment, to show God's spirit of forgiveness to those whose injuries against us are, by negligible compared to our own wrongs against God.

Context Of The Parable

Context In The Church Year

After seven weeks the church again returns to a parable to describe Jesus' message of mercy, forgiveness, and love. For five consecutive Sundays we will hear various parables from Matthew's Gospel that challenge us to respond to the God who first loved us. Forgiveness is basic to the Christian message; one cannot get far as a disciple without providing and receiving forgiveness. Thus, in its initiation of five consecutive parables, the theme of unlimited forgiveness is highlighted. The Golden Rule, as we all know, says we are to love God and our neighbor as ourselves. Love is dependent upon the knowledge that mercy and forgiveness are available and will be applied. How can we be confident of God's love or our ability to love or be loved by others unless we are certain that any barrier to this love can be removed? Forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy, and compassion are trademarks of the Christian life and ones that the church in its wisdom provides for us this week.

Context With Other Gospels

While the concepts of forgiveness and mercy are basic to the gospel message, this particular parable of unlimited forgiveness is unique to Matthew. In Luke 17:4 Jesus addresses his disciples as a group and tells them that they must forgive anyone who seeks repentance from them, even if it is seven times a day. Here the message of repeated forgiveness is stressed against Matthew's parable of unlimited forgiveness.

This parable concludes chapter 18 of Matthew's Gospel with a scene that says the Christian community can live on the basis of God's inconceivable grace. Not only can the community live in such a manner, it must. Matthew in the last verse underscores this admonition to the community and its alternative -- destruction in the Last Judgment. Throughout the entire chapter Matthew is concerned with helping the followers of Jesus. Only when the heart has become new and all live as children can people live as true disciples of Jesus.

Context With First And Second Lessons
First Lesson: Genesis 50:15-21. The crime perpetrated by the sons of Israel against their brother Joseph was very grave. Sold into slavery, there was little chance that the young boy would survive, let alone achieve position and greatness. Yet, Joseph defeated the odds and rose to be a leader in Egypt. Most people would have held a grudge or been vengeful toward those who committed such an offense against one's person, but Joseph was no ordinary person. He demonstrated the unlimited forgiveness that Jesus would later preach in his public ministry. Joseph stands as a model of human forgiveness for all of us.

Second Lesson: Romans 14: 1-12. Saint Paul reminds the Christian community at Rome that they are on loan to the world from God. The Lord has given us the opportunity of life in order to serve God and God's people. Thus, we have a responsibility that must not be taken lightly in our day-to-day lives. In conjunction with the parable of unlimited forgiveness we should understand that mercy and compassion are integral parts of God's law and must be exercised in our lives. We cannot properly live the life given us by God unless we demonstrate unlimited forgiveness to our brothers and sisters, in imitation of Christ who died in order to give us eternal life.