24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ecclesiaticus (Ben Sira) 27:30-28:7 Romans 14:7-9) Matthew 18:21-35
For the last seven Sundays the Gospel Readings have let us share in the teaching and instructions of Jesus for his followers on discipleship, life in a Christian community. Having taught his disciples about aspects and qualities of Faith, He has given them responsibility in helping each other to avoid sin and be reconciled.
The Lord now moves on to what is, almost a novel concept for them, Forgiveness. These disciples had lived in a society where the attitude of ‘eye-for-eye and tooth-for-tooth’ prevailed. But the teachings of the old scribe, Ben Sira who taught in the Temple in Jerusalem and wrote much of the Ecclesiasticus (1st Reading) had taught differently and prepared the way for the parable of today’s Gospel. The quality of God that we know best is ‘mercy and forgiveness’ which is the very meaning of the name of God given to Moses on Sinai.
We are taught that we are made in ‘the image of God’ and again that ‘God is Love’. It is a high ideal. It also entails that we must share the Cross, the Cross that brings Salvation to all. Saint Paul puts it very bluntly; ‘the life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, we belong to the Lord’.
We all know that most of the crosses that life brings are because of other people. We human beings bring hurt to each other, sometimes unintentionally, but often deliberately. Jesus teaches us today about how to deal with the hurts and sorrows that are imposed on us by others.
Peter thought that forgiving seven times would be adequate. Seven was the perfect number. If you had forgiven seven times, you could then sit back and relax! What more could be expected of anybody? But Jesus teaches seventy-times-seven! In other words, Jesus puts it beyond counting – a long time before you could sit back satisfied that you had done all that was possible. Seventy times seven breaks the cycle of thinking revengefully and instead we have to think forgivingly. Forgiveness becomes a clear and deliberate decision!
Forgiveness does not mean blotting out painful memories and hurts. JFK once famously said, “Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names”. So, forgiveness means never acting on what the memories or hurts have done.
And, of course, Forgiveness is not just a question of blotting out, of clearing the air, putting it all behind and pretending it never happened. Forgiveness is a positive thing, a holy thing which brings peace, serenity, relief and joy.
Mark Twain: “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it”.