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| Claude Vignon (French, 17th Cent.) "The Unmerciful Servant" |
“And in anger his lord handed him over to
be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.” (Matthew 18:34)
The above verse from our appointed Gospel
for Pentecost 15, Year A (Matthew 18: 21-35) is a pretty nasty verse, don’t you
think? A man is condemned to torture in a debtors’ prison for the crime of
un-forgiveness. But, if you think about it, the lack of forgiveness, the
gripping on to grievances and wounds, is a type of torture. God may not condemn
us to it. Rather, we condemn ourselves
to it.
Come on. Be honest. Haven’t you ever
enjoyed the luxury of holding a grudge? Haven’t you relished the thought that
there was another human being whose character was more despicable than your
own? Have you ever made the mental list of all the things you did for that
person and all the times they showed callous ingratitude? Of all the rude things
they’ve said? Of all the times thy have neglected your dignity? You may have just
luxuriated in your indignation as you became exactly the sort of bitter
complaining person you can’t stand to be around.
Face it: we love to keep score. Peter has
this thing all figured out. He’s going to count seven times before he gets to
designate someone irredeemable. Seven’s a good number, right? In Hebrew
numerology it combines four (the number of earthly completeness) with three
(the number of God’s completeness). Seven screw-ups and it’s complete—you can now
hate that person with impunity.
In a way, Peter has a point. I mean, just
how much of someone else’s toxicity are we supposed to take? In last week’s
Gospel Jesus counseled us to treat an unrepentant offender like a gentile or a
tax collector, which is another way of saying that the offender is outside of
the society (Mt. 18:17). Yeah, sometimes you have to draw the line. But to
forgive does not mean to excuse. There still may be consequences for someone’s
actions, but how we regard that person in our own hearts is a different matter.
Jesus isn’t into keeping score. Jesus
demands forgiveness that goes beyond our ability to count up wrongs. The slave
in the parable has racked up a debt so high no one could repay it. It’s
actually an exaggerated amount almost equivalent to the national debt of a
small country. Jesus likes to use a little hyperbole for effect at times, but
the point is this guy is unable to make things right. Fortunately, he serves a
gracious lord who takes pity on him.
Here’s the problem: the guy doesn’t
appreciate the magnitude of what has been done for him. I figure he’s like some degenerate
gambler who keeps getting deeper and deeper into the hole while he blames
everybody else for the poor choices he’s made. He has no introspection, and, therefore,
no repentance. To fear the consequences of your wrong-doing is not the same as
being contrite for having done wrong. He just doesn’t seem to get the concept
of his master’s grace.
And that’s a problem. You see, I don’t believe that there can be
forgiveness without repentance. By this I don’t mean to say that you have to
know the one who has wronged you is sorry for their action before you can
forgive them. I mean that each of us has to repent before we can forgive
another from our hearts. We have to come to an understanding of who we are and
who God is.
Some wrongs—racial injustice, child abuse,
genocide, you name it—are just too
enormous for score-keeping. If we took the “eye-for-an-eye” attitude the whole
world would be blind! There are times when we lack the ability to get past our
wounds. But God never lacks that ability. When we can’t let go of hurt we can
still lean on the knowledge of God’s grace.
I love the story of Joseph in Genesis that’s
used as the First Lesson companion for this Gospel (Genesis 50:15-21). Joseph
has every good reason to hate his brothers and seek revenge, but God has spoken
to him in his suffering and changed his heart. That’s why he’s able to forgive.
He’s come to a new understanding of the magnitude of God’s unconditional
goodness and love.
Sometimes we have to know ourselves as
forgiven before we can offer forgiveness to others. The choice is up to us:
live in grace or in a debtors’ prison of our own making.
May
the peace of God which passes our understanding keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus.
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