Daily Reading & Meditation
Tuesday (March 5): "How often shall I forgive?"
Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother
sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said
to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. 23 "Therefore
the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts
with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him
who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord
ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had,
and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring
him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27 And
out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him
the debt. 28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his
fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the
throat he said, `Pay what you owe.' 29 So his fellow servant fell down
and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30 He refused
and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31 When his
fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed,
and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave
you all that debt because you besought me; 33 and should not you have had
mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 34 And in anger his
lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 35
So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive
your brother from your heart."
Old Testament Reading: Daniel 3:25,34-43 (Deutero-canonical
book)
25 Azariah prayed: "For your name’s sake do not give us up utterly,
and do not break your covenant, and do not withdraw your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham your beloved and for the sake of Isaac your servant
and Israel your holy one, to whom you promised to make their descendants
as many as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the shore of the
sea. For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any nation, and are brought
low this day in all the world because of our sins. And at this time there
is no prince, or prophet, or leader, no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or
oblation, or incense, no place to make an offering before you or to find
mercy.Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted,
as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and with tens
of thousands of fat lambs; such may our sacrifice be in your sight this
day, and may we wholly follow you, for there will be no shame for those
who trust in you. And now with all our heart we follow you, we fear you
and seek your face. Do not put us to shame, but deal with us in your forbearance
and in your abundant mercy. Deliver us in accordance with your marvelous
works, and give glory to your name, O Lord!"
Meditation: Who doesn't have debts they need to pay off! And
who wouldn't be grateful to have someone release them from their debts?
But can we really expect mercy and pardon when we owe someone a great deal?
When the people of Israel sinned and rebelled against God, God left them
to their own devices until they repented and cried out to him for mercy.
The Book of Daniel in the Old Testament recounts the story of Daniel and
his three young friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were sent
into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. When the King of Babylon threw Daniel's
three friends into the fiery furnace, they cried out to God to have mercy
not only on themselves, but to have mercy upon all his people. "Do not
put us to shame, but deal with us in your forbearance and in your abundant
mercy" (Daniel 3:19-43). The prophet Jeremiah reminds us that God's "mercies
never come to an end - they are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23).
God gives grace to the humble and he shows mercy to those who turn to him
for healing and pardon.
God's mercy towards each one of us shows us the way that God wants each
one of us to be merciful towards one another. When Peter posed the question
of forgiveness and showing mercy to one's neighbor, he characteristically
offered an answer he thought Jesus would be pleased with. Why not forgive
your neighbor seven times! How unthinkable for Jesus to counter with the
proposition that one must forgive seventy times that. Jesus made it clear
that there is no reckonable limit to mercy and pardon. And he drove the
lesson home with a parable about two very different kinds of debts. The
first man owed an enormous sum of money – millions in our currency. In
Jesus' time this amount was greater than the total revenue of a province
– more than it would cost to ransom a king! The man who was forgiven such
an incredible debt could not, however bring himself to forgive his neighbor
a very small debt which was about one- hundred-thousandth of his own debt.
The contrast could not have been greater!
Paul the Apostle tells us that "the wages of sin is death, but the free
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). There
is no way we could repay God the debt we owed him because of our sins and
offenses. Only his mercy and pardon could free us from such a debt. There
is no offense our neighbor can do to us that can compare with our debt
to God! If God has forgiven each of us our debt, which was very great,
we, too must forgive others the debt they owe us. Through Jesus' atoning
sacrifice for our sins on the cross, we have been forgiven a debt beyond
all reckoning. It cost God his very own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to
ransom us with the price of his blood. Jesus paid the price for us and
won for us pardon for our sins and freedom from slavery to our unruly desires
and sinful habits. God in his mercy offers us the grace and help of his
Holy Spirit so we can love as he loves, pardon as he pardons, and treat
others with the same mercy and kindness which he has shown to us. God has
made his peace with us. Have you made your peace with God? If you believe
and accept God's love and and pardon for you, then you likewise must choose
to be merciful towards those who are in debt to you. Are you ready to forgive
and to make peace with your neighbor as God has made peace with you?
"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let
me sow love. Where there is injury let me sow pardon. Where there is doubt
let me sow faith. Where there is despair let me give hope. Where there
is darkness let me give light. Where there is sadness let me give joy."
(Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226)
(c) 2013 Don
Schwager
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