Year A Proper 19 Matthew 18:21-35 Forgiveness

Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive?

A familiar question from a familiar Gospel reading. One of the disciples asks Jesus a question, and, as is His wont, Jesus’ gives a shocking answer. Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. While Peter’s question is genuine, it was no doubt also supposed to impress our Lord with its generosity. Instead of getting a pat on the back and the reassurance that he has definitely got the right attitude, Peter finds himself being mildly reprimanded. Jesus responds with a number so large that it would be impossible to keep count. In essence Jesus is saying, “For goodness’ sake, man, just do it! Don’t keep score.”

And then, as He usually does, Jesus follows up by telling the disciples a story, a parable, to illustrate His point. Like all His parables, this one is meant to shock. Jesus often used this tactic to get the attention of His listeners and to get them, and us, to think about what He is saying. Even without thinking about today’s parable in depth, we recognize it as a truly ugly story – but let’s take a closer look.

Traditionally, this parable is known as The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, though it might equally be called the Parable of the Truly Stupid Servant. How could that first servant, living in a time when “word of mouth” was a way of life, ever think he could abuse the second servant as he does, and that his action would go unnoticed by the master? In fact, had he thought it through, the first servant would have realized that the action would certainly cause the master to think that his kindness and generosity to the first servant had been defamed by an idiot.

Shocking! But then we realize we can, in part, understand the first servant and why he acted so foolishly. He is grateful that he has been pardoned from his debt, but this has obviously brought to his attention just how poor he is. In his need for funds, he naturally turns to someone who owes him money to try to replenish his own empty coffers. This is a perfectly natural, worldly thinking. The man does look stupid, but also desperate – and so in his desperation he has responded with what seems to him to be a reasonable – but worldly - solution.

In a culture where usury was a sin – the master also does not come off well in this parable. He appears to be the greatest scoundrel of all, doing no more than the justice he should have practiced. He forgives the financial debt that was his to forgive, because he had unjustly bound his servant to begin with. Forgiveness here was nothing more than a commercial tit for tat – where the wealth disparity was so great that it cost the master nothing.

The parable paints a picture of spiritually ugly people. However, it also speaks of forgiveness, but of what type of forgiveness? It certainly does not emphasize any kind of true forgiveness from the heart. At best it is a debt forgiveness story from one who had it all, the master, forgiving the financial inadequacies of one, the first servant, who except for debt had nothing at all. And this servant then turns to a lesser servant in an attempt to stabilize his own crumbling situation – and this action causes his downfall.

What are we to learn from this parable that is meant to teach us about forgiveness? Well, we are members of a harsh and unjust society. We are built on usury. Foreclosure, and repossession, credit and college debt, the legacy of land grab, wars of aggression, treaty breaking, the abuse of the American worker, injustice in the assignment of Veterans mortgages, red lining, eminent domain and landlord greed that forced generations from one slum to another so that others might live well – all these and more have created our society, where some people will simply continue to fail.

We accept that we live in an ugly society, but that doesn’t mean that we are ugly people – or does it? As we know, society is no more than a group of people living together in a more or less ordered community. Our society is a reflection of us - each of us. “Oh, no!” we protest, “surely not I?” But the truth is, we all have in some way, large or small, contributed to the society in which we live. We have come together and created an ugly story.

Have mercy on us O LORD, for we have sinned against you. Show us your mercy O Lord. And grant us your salvation.

We often do or say terrible things to each other. We make people “stranger”- easier to dismiss…easier to put outside of the need for our care or concern. It’s true that people are annoying…hugely self-centered – and even when they love the LORD – and more than 5 millennia of people have loved Jesus at least as much as we do, the love and concern comes with limits born of fear and an instinctive need to control everything. Whether it be friends, family, coworkers, the newest arrivals at our shores or just the odd one among us – we will be hurt and will hurt in return. That’s us – that’s being human. So now what?

Lord by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world.

There is a beautiful side to the lesson in today’s parable, but we are called to discern it and, in our lives, to live it, to create beauty where there is so much ugliness. We are the baptized – the ones called repent and to forgive, to shine with the Light within, with the Holy Spirit. We are not called to make the superficial gestures the parable sets forth in such detail, but to bring to our forgiveness the beauty that is Christ.

Forgiveness is an intentional act more than a feeling. It starts with not being overrun by the sheer pettiness of daily living. Arguments happen - people have annoying foibles. Yes, they’ll “get to us” sometimes, but it’s not the leaving of the room to blow off steam that is sinful - it is the refusal to find a space in our hearts that allows us to know that the person who has upset us is worthy of prayer, worthy of concern. There is an old saying, “forgive and forget”. But forgiveness is not the same as forgetting. True forgiveness is a matter of the heart.

The prophet Sirach wrote … wrath and anger are hateful things, and a sinner holds them tight.

Jesus’ parable today is ugly because it is so empty of any kindness, of love. We are the ones called to carry His love into the world, to reflect His love in our lives. And how do we learn to love? We can begin by learning to truly forgive. Mother Teresa once said, “People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.” Forgiveness means you let go of it, of whatever you are forgiving, and even more, you love that person or persons and pray for them.

Have faith. Our LORD is with us. Jesus stands by our side. We sin too easily against one another, against entire nations and against Creation. It is better that we learn. And having done what we can, we hand it back to God. We can’t control what others do with our attempts. We may not always get it right. But we are always called to try.

Let us pray – in the words attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.