Reflection: September 12, 2026
The gospel for Sunday, Sept. 13th (Matt 18:21-35) provides a variation on last week’s theme of communion and community... using a darker example. It begins,
Then Peter came and said to Jesus, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?"
Note that Peter used the word, church in his question. He had adopted the word that Jesus had spoken for the first time, just a few verses earlier (Matt 16:18) when he said, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. This word would come to refer to the specific kind of community that Jesus was in the process of creating.
Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
When Jesus said seventy-seven times, he was effectively saying, ‘as many times as he asks your forgiveness.’
Peter, himself would become an example of Jesus’ forgiveness. He would deny knowing Jesus three times (Matt 26:69-75) , then be forgiven. (John 21:15-17)
**
This desire to restore someone to the community, even a repeat offender, is a variation on the theme of the lost sheep, in Luke 15:4, ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When someone goes astray, you go to find them. And if they wander, repeatedly, you go after them, again and again.
**
Then Jesus offered a parable by way of example.
...the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ..., one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.
So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’
And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.
Ten thousand talents was a very large amount of money. In Jesus’ time, a talent was worth about 15-20 years’ worth of wages. A talent was worth roughly 6,000 denarii. So, the slave in the story owed the equivalent of 600,000,000 denarii...an enormous debt... so large that he couldn’t really pay it!
In this parable, Jesus used the designation king to refer to God. And, as God, he was willing to forgive a very large debt. The point was that the king/God, would forgive even a large debt out of pity. The relationship was worth more to God than the money.
**
The parable continues.
But that same slave ... came upon... a fellow slave who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, said, ‘Pay what you owe.’
His fellow slave ... pleaded with him, ‘Have patience ... and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then ...threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.
When his fellow slaves saw this, they were greatly distressed, and they ... reported to their lord all that had taken place.
Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’
And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.
So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
God is merciful and generous and expects that mercy will be extended to others in the same way. But if someone does not act with mercy and forgiveness, then there will be grave consequences. The first slave had been shown great mercy in being forgiven a debt that would have been about 6,000,000 times greater than the debt that was owed him....Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
**
People trying to recover from drug and alcohol abuse appreciate this parable. Most of them have sworn off booze, cocaine or meth during hangovers, many times... then relapsed. They want to be clean and sober but are vulnerable to their appetites. In some cases, their success in kicking their habit requires the patience of families or sponsors forgiving them seventy-seven times and believing that they are sincere in their desire to straighten out their lives, even if they lapse many times. It may take years of failure, but ultimately, for many, it does work. But someone has to be prepared to support them through all their failures...to forgive them seventy-seven times. In their stories of recovery, they often credit these people for their love and forgiveness.
These recovered addicts often become leaders in AA, NA or STIR (Spiritual Transformation in Recovery). They are sympathetic to others who have struggled, failed, and struggled again to become clean and sober.
**
· What is your experience in forgiving someone repeatedly? Was the person a misbehaving child who eventually matured into a fine adult? Was it an alcoholic family member who finally sobered up? Was love at the heart of your forgiveness? Was your motivation maintaining the family unit?
· Have you had the experience of failing often and having to apologize to the same person? Were you sincere in your apology? How did you feel as you recognized your fault? Did you manage to change the behaviour?
· How ‘far’ have you gone to keep someone in community? Perhaps the person is loud, unreliable, or has sometimes objectionable opinions. But if they seem sincere in other parts of their life in community, do you accommodate them?
Peace,
Deacon Michael