Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost
June 21, 2024
Invitatory
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church*sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven* times.
‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, 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. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii;* and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and 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 should 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.’
Meditation-Rebecca Northington
I love this passage, not because it vindicates some deep seeded opinion I have on forgiveness, but because of the challenge of it. For any of you who know me-I love a good challenge. How can we forgive over and over again? What is the saying? Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. This proverb seems to be saying just the opposite of Matthew’s text. We should learn from our experience and avoid being taken advantage of, hurt, or abused. We should change our behavior, not our expectations.
This, I believe, is the way of man; and what Jesus is again pointing us towards, is a different way. In his typical fashion he speaks in parables or riddles, but this one is a little easier to follow. How often does our father in heaven forgive us? More times then there is sand in the ocean, or stars in the night sky. His unconditional love for us knows no end. Why then should we treat one another any differently? Loved ones and strangers alike deserve our endless mercy and understanding, love and forgiveness, as God gives it to us.
There is a warning in this parable as well. Should our treatment of others be starved of forgiveness we can expect that same treatment from God. I have two thoughts on this. I have been reading a translation of The Koran this week and have been a little startled by this kind of threatening language. I do not have the full context and may refer to this differently as I complete this translation, but the rules of conduct as Mohhamad explains them are pretty cut throat. Do this or else burn in a fiery hell. It is intense. The Gospels deliver a contrasting message. Jesus is not dictating, he is leading us.
When I read this text from Matthew I feel very strongly that Jesus is urging us to see this entire paradigm differently. Imagine if God did not forgive? Truly, I for one take God’s forgiveness as oxygen. I ask for it, beg for it even, when I mess up, which I do all the time. But I never doubt that it will be given. I cannot imagine a world where God’s love and mercy didn’t feel present in my life. This I believe is what Jesus is leading us to explore. It is not a threat-it is a type of explanation. For those who do not forgive, endlessly forgive, they typically do not forgive themselves. When we cease to forgive ourselves we have stopped believing that God can forgive us. This is a hell of our own making.
I spend a lot of my time mowing in the summers. A lot. I don’t put in podcasts or music. I think. Yesterday in my second hour of mowing I thought about the various people I would like to write to this summer and ask for their forgiveness, and to give my own to them. Sometimes for little things, and more often than not for the big things that lie dormant in our relationship, creating scar tissue and division. As I said in the beginning, I like a challenge. I also don’t let things lie. Something I often have to ask forgiveness for as well. Maybe this passage will make you respond differently to people who irritate you in the grocery store, or on the road. Maybe you will go deeper and forgive a brother or sister, friend or foe-if even only in your heart at first. I think you will find that this sort of reflection and behavior heals you as well. And makes room for God’s forgiveness and mercy in your life.
Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
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