LOVE UNTO FORGIVE IMMEASURABLY

First Reading: Sir 27:30-28:7
Second Reading: Rom 14:7-9
Gospel: Mt 18:21-35

Christianity is known for charity and forgiveness. Many kingdoms have come and gone but no kingdom has survived as long as the kingdom of God on this earth. Because the foundation for earthly kingdoms are destruction of the existing one – the destruction of one that is existing at the time of the rise of new kingdom. The one who takes the sword will die with the sword (Mt 26:52). Thus, any kingdom that comes up by ruling out the other will eventually face termination at one point of time in the history. Jews thought that Jesus would destroy the Roman kingdom and establish His own kingdom. But things didn’t happen as they wished. Jesus chose another way, He established His kingdom without destroying the existing one. The foundation of His kingdom was love and forgiveness. No founder of any human kingdom have unearthed this secret. All want to reign by dethroning the other. On the contrary, Jesus planned to reign without removing the other, because even His enemy is His son/daughter. Will the mother or father will the destruction of her/his children if they turn against her/him? No. Even if they do so, the mother of Mothers and Father of fathers would never do that. Jesus, the divine mother and father wills life for all His children. Thus, he loved even His executioners. Even His crucifixion could not make Him angry toward His executioners. Love nailed Him to the Cross. Love poured out forgiving blood and water from His side. This unchangeable and never ending love was the foundation for Christianity.

Today’s readings are about the virtue of forgiveness. The king in the parable shows immeasurable mercy to his servant. The debt of the servant amounts to $60,000,000 of that time. The cancelling of such as huge debt completely without placing any condition is a mercy par excellence. Mercy is the action of the king. But the cause of that mercy is the love of the king. The king loves his subjects. His love to preserve the life of His citizens moved him to show mercy for the undeserved servant. As Jesus’ love on the cross effected forgiveness, the love of the king effects pardon for the wicked servant. The recipient of this unconditional mercy turns to be a ruthless man as he neglects mercy for his fellow servant who owes him less than $200 of that time. The underlying problem here is lack of love. The servant considers the mercy of the king for his debt as the effect of his pleading. For he thinks that he has tricked the king with his way of pleading. He lauds himself as the winner of his trickery. He could not perceive the love that king has in cancelling his debt. O poor servant! if only you were to realize the love of your king, you would not have maltreated your fellow servant. Yes, dear friends, forgiveness is very difficult to practice especially if that is practiced out of fear or on the account of survival. The basis of forgiveness should be LOVE. Where there is true love there is immeasurable forgiveness. Love has no limit to forgive as seven or seventy times.

The ending of parable is very important. The king revokes his forgiveness when the pardoned servant fails in forgiving his fellow servant. God is Love. Out of His love He forgives all our sins but if we fail to forgive others then He would revoke that forgiveness. Remember, we pray to God to forgive our sins as we forgive others. Jesus has already placed the condition within the prayer he has taught us. It is we, who decide the forgiveness of God. To become successful in the mission of forgiveness we need to LOVE unconditionally. For that to happen as the second reading of the day says, we need to confirm ourselves to the Lord. Whether we live or die we should be of the Lord’s (Rom 14:8). Belongingness to Him will help us to be like Him who does not treat us according to our sins (Ps 103:10). May this week be a loveable and forgiving week. God bless!     

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