24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" (Matthew 18:21-35)

Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."

Rabbis taught that forgiveness may be given 3 times. Or at most 4 times. Therefore, Peter thought that 7 was generous enough. But Jesus taught that there is no limit to forgiveness.

A debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount (10,000 talents).

The servant was an official. Someone computed the amount to be US$60 billion.

His master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.

The amount to be realized in selling them would not even cover a fraction of the US$ 60B. Selling them was, therefore, a punishment.

Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.

This was clearly impossible.

When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount (100 denarii).

This was equivalent to US$200. Compare how little the fellow servant owed to what he owed to the king. Compare how the king treated him and how he treated his fellow servant.

Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers...

It might be that the official was hiding part of the US$60B. The king wanted to get it back.

Until he should pay back the whole debt.

He can never hope to raise the amount. Therefore, his torment would be unending.

Lessons

1. We must forgive one another because their offenses are small compared to our offenses against God.
2. We must forgive one another because refusal to do so would mean not being forgiven by God.