Once some one told me that if a person disappoint him once he would forgive; but after a second time he would not forgive him. I know people who would break the contact due to even a small disappointment.
St Peter is very generous in this regard. He asks Jesus whether he should forgive his brother seven times. In the Bible the number seven is a complete number. In spite of that Jesus does not say to forgive seven times. He says to forgive seventy-seven times. That means one has to forgive indefinitely.
This commandment to forgive indefinitely and to reconcile with the fellow humans always make the daily life difficult. We may not be able to forgive always those who have committed sin against us. We may not be willing to do it. We feel it unjust and consider it a kind of exploitation.
When we hear the words of Jesus to forgive our fellow humans always, let us find out one or two persons whom we really forgave. To be able to forgive one should be merciful. In the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, we pray to God, “ forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
In the parable of the king and his servants the king was very much generous and merciful against his servant who had the debt of a big amount of money. But the same servant whom a fellow servant had the debt of a small amount, he was not generous and merciful. Jesus will not tolerate such an unjust and merciless behaviour.
In the way of thinking and doing there is a big difference between the king and his servant. Ten thousent talent is in the indian rupees today more than 200 crores of rupees. 100 debar is around 3000 rupees. According to the parable the one who enjoyed generosity and mercifulness for 200 crores of rupees was not ready to show little mercy to the one who had to pay only three thousand rupees. This attitude is not acceptable.
With this parable the evangelist Mathew remind us about the duty of a Christian. Such a reminder was necessary for the Christians of the early century. There was difference of opinion in many levels; there were conflicts and dissatisfaction, although we read in the Acts of the Apostle that they were one heart and one mind. Surely they were united as they had to face external problems. At the same time they had many internal problems. They had to practice the spirit of the prayer Jesus taught. “Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
We may know people who are like the king of the parable and also those who behave like the unmerciful servant against whom the king was very generous and merciful. Let us reflect about our past and evaluate our way of dealing. Are we tending to behave like this king or like the king’s servant.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS