Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

09-17-2017Weekly ReflectionFr. Chauncey Winkler

"Forgive your neighbors injustice, then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven" This quote from today's first reading sounds a lot like "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Sirach goes on to say that the way we treat others, particularly those with whom we are angry, is what we can expect from the Lord. "Can anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?"

When the forgiven man went to demand payment from his debtor, he heard from him the very same words and actions that he had so recently offered to the king. But the forgiven man did not recognize his own voice in the debtor. He did not see his plight in the debtor's plight. What he did not or would not see brought him to condemn himself with his own words and actions. He only made an inescapable demand on himself when he spoke to the debtor.

In today's Gospel reading there is a man whose debt to the king was a "huge amount". So huge in fact, that when the king orders for the man and his family to be sold to pay part of the debt it did not seem unjust or disproportionate to anyone in the story. If the debtor had previously been presuming on his king's patience, the order to have him sold woke him up to reality. He suddenly realized the gravity of his situation and began to beg the king for more time to pay him back. Could this conversion of heart have been the kings intention from the beginning? I think so.

Think for a moment… what if the king had simply waived the debt without calling the debtor to account? What if the debtor's presumption upon the kings patience was never challenged, but only confirmed? What would become of this man's soul?

Can we see ourselves in this man? We who are indebted to our Creator for everything that we have and are, even life itself, do we presume on God's goodness? Do we consider the devotion due to him and the diligence of our service to be optional or unimportant? Is it unjust or disproportionate or mean for God to call on us and insist that we finally give an account for our debt?

The man in the Gospel does homage to the king and insists that he will devote himself to pay the debt. But, apparently the king is more interested in the character and well being of his subjects than he is in the payment of the debt owed to him.

The devotion that we rightly owe to God is the context for this story, but it is not the story's main point. When the Lord gives and forgives, we are to bless others with that which was so freely given to us. For we cannot truly keep what we are unwilling to give away.

Many of us can think of people who we believe are indebted to us. Maybe we even think about it a lot. We demand our rights, holding on to what is due to us from others. But today, bring into these thoughts the transforming truth that all of us owe to God more than we could possibly pay. All of us are guilty before the Lord. God gives and forgives. What must we now do in the light of this?

Who must we forgive? When you speak to this person, will you look into the mirror and say the same?

Remember, forgiveness must never be used as an excuse to cover something up or to keep a secret about an injustice that needs to be addressed. It is not our part to prevent the light from shining in the darkness. Everyone must give an account for his life. But we ourselves must seek to bring to others the forgiveness that God has so openly bestowed on us.

  • Blessings,
  • Father Chauncey
BACK TO LIST