Today’s Sermon in a Nutshell: How to forgive and why
Matthew 18:23-35
In today’s gospel parable, when the servant who was indebted to the king
fell on his knees saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you
everything.” The king, in his compassion, took pity on the man and forgave him
his entire debt.
This is the true image of forgiveness; God-like forgiveness: complete,
undeserved, and out of love. It looks nothing like the kind of forgiveness we
see in this world. To the world, such forgiveness is incomprehensible because
man’s pride generally demands some type of retribution or “satisfaction” be
given. That explains why, when this forgiven servant went away and found
someone who owed him money, he literally grabbed the man around the neck and
choaked the other servant – “holding on” instead of “letting go.”
From God Himself, we learn how to forgive: freely, mercifully, without
hesitation, reservation, and with complete love. The “why we should forgive” is
also self-evident, because this is how it is done in God’s Kingdom: “Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven!”
If you want to learn how to be forgiven, go with Christ to Golgotha; if you
want to learn how to forgive, stand at the foot of the Cross.
Fr. John
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