24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

September 13, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Sirach 27: 30 - 28: 7 y

Psalm 103 “The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger, and rich in compassion.”

Second Reading: Romans 14: 7-9

Gospel reading according to Matthew 18: 21-35

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Homily: On Forgiveness            

After Jesus gave instructions on what to do on fraternal correction and the process of reconciling and bringing back to the community (or the Church) a brother who sinned against his brother (or her sister), Jesus continued his admonition on compassion and forgiveness to a brother (or sister) who was hugging wrath and anger.  In the Book of the Prophet Sirach, (first reading), wrath and anger, even vengeance, are hateful things in the Lord God (27: 30).  “Peter approached Jesus and asked him, ‵Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times′?” (Matthew 18: 21).  Peter after receiving scolding from Jesus, and then realized his mundane attitude instead of God′s infinite wisdom and truth, asked about forgiveness Jesus was teaching.  Afterwards, he had the courage to ask Jesus on how many times he should forgive his brother who committed sin against him.  He asked as many as seven times only, and if he repented within the limit of seven time, he should be forgiven, but if he remained hardheaded and stupor after the seven times limits, he should be considered as a Gentile and/or tax collector? (cf. last week Gospel, [September 6, 2020], Matthew 18: 15-20).

Jesus who is like his Father in forgiving, and in giving compassion and mercy to sinful people, has an open-ended and unlimited forgiveness (seventy-seven times). The Lord God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is a God who remembered our sins in detail, nevertheless He forgives our offenses/sins if we forgive the injustices (sins) of our neighbors, when we pray ours sins will be forgiven and expect healing from the Lord (Sirach 28: 1-2).  “Jesus answered, ‵I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times′. . .”  (Matthew 18: 22).  Jesus is not (kuripot) stingy, limiting in forgiving sins but rather he is very generous (liglig, siksik at umaapaw) in giving pardon to those brothers and sisters who committed sins against God and their neighbors.  He can forgive as much as seventy-seven (77) times, (others are adding additional seven (7) times; 77x 7x).

To make it clear not only to Peter and the other Apostles, but even to us, his followers, with regards to forgiving our brothers or sisters who committed sins against us and to God, Jesus expounded its importance of giving pardon to one′s brother or sister through a parable of a forgiving king and an unforgiving servant to his co-servant.  “. . . ‵That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.  When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.  Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.  At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‵Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full′.  Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan′. . .” (Matthew 18: 23-27).  The first servant who was brought to the king to reconcile his huge amount of debt begged and promised to pay back in the near future.  The king had pity on him and exonerated and exculpated, free and cleared his big debt.

Jesus continued his parable with a contrast, while the debt of that servant was totally erased, in another incident that servant met his co-servant who had a very small loan to him; he begged and also promised that in due time he will repay his loan, but he did not show pity, instead he sent him to jail until he paid in full his debt.   “. . . ‵When that servant left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount.  He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‵Pay back what you owe′.  Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‵Be patient with me, and I will pay you back′.  But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt′. . .” (Matthew 18: 28-30).  This servant was opposite to his forgiving king.  If he received kindness from his master and king, on the one hand; he, on the other hand, showed severe demand to his co-servant.  He did not remember what his master had done to him.  According to Sirach, “If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?” (28: 5). 

There is time for reckoning.  We cannot escape from the watchful eyes of those people around us.  In the parable of Jesus, the other fellow servants who saw everything from the king’s accounting to what happened to their fellow servants.  They called for justice.  And the only one who can give justice is their king.   “. . . ‵Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply distressed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.  His master summoned him and said to him, ‵You wicked servant!  I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.  Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?′  Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt′. . .”  (Matthew 18: 31-34).  The king, after hearing from the other servants what had happened, became angry (this anger is meant for justice and righteousness) against that servant whom he had forgiven his huge amount of debt.  He did what that servant had done to his co-servant; he was thrown in prison, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, until he paid his debt.

To conclude his parable, Jesus challenged his disciples.  “. . . ‵So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart′.”  (Matthew 18: 35).  By forgiving our brothers and sisters from the bottom of our hearts, we too, will receive forgiveness from our heavenly Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Sirach said, “Remember your last day, [and] remember death and decay, set enmity aside and cease from sin.  Think of the Commandments, of the Most High Covenant, [therefore] hate not your neighbor, overlook [their] faults” (28: 6-7).  Our Lord God, said the psalmist, “The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger, and rich in compassion” (Ps. 103).