Appreciating Forgiveness

Do you remember the story in Matt. 18:21-35 about the servant who owed his master a huge amount of debt and had no way to pay it back? His master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt, but the servant fell down and said, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.” Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the debt.

When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, “Pay back what you owe,” and falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back,” but he refused and instead, had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.

There are lots of ways we can interpret what is going on in this story. The way I interpret it is that the first servant did not in any way “appreciate” the master’s forgiveness. He felt that he was so smart to have spoken in a way that got his masters “compassion” or even his weakness because he knows that his master does not have the heart to make him pay by selling him and his household in payment of the debt.

Since he thought of himself to be smart enough to say the “right” words and trick his master, he does not know what forgiveness is nor the value; he did not appreciate his master’s forgiveness and compassion.

As the Latin saying goes: “nemo dat quod non habet,” that is “no one can give what they do not have,” this servant who did not appreciate the forgiveness and compassion of his master did not receive forgiveness and compassion and hence, cannot give it back to a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller amount. He feels he does not have the master’s “weakness” to forgive and his fellow servant does not have his “intelligence” as to say the right words and get off free.

Forgiveness is not weakness or a flaw; compassion is not lack of courage rather forgiveness is a show of strength and power and compassion is an act of bravery and fortitude to be vulnerable but trusting in God to let go and let God act or better put, act in God(ly) way.

Jesus forgiving his executioners was not an act of weakness; God’s love and compassion for us is not because He is afraid that if He doesn’t love us, we will hate Him. No. God is Love. It is in His nature to love and forgive and have compassion. When we appreciate that He did these for us and still does, we are able to appropriate it in our lives and in so doing mete it out to others.

The Lenten season is a journey on the path to repentance and conversion, and these are us seeking God’s forgiveness. We are asking Him to wipe and absolve our past wrongdoings as we start on a clean slate. He said we should ask and we shall receive. When we receive His forgiveness, we pray for His grace to really appreciate that forgiveness and be able to show others forgiveness too.

Let us pray: Merciful God, you look upon all who plead for your forgiveness and mete it out without conditions or reservations. Look upon us, your children, who during this Lenten season are making every effort to turn back to you and receive your forgiveness. Grant us we pray your unconditional forgiveness and through your prevenient grace, aid us to appreciate it and be able to forgive those who have trespassed against us, Amen!

Fr. Stan