C.S. Lewis, a famous writer, scholar, and lay theologian, has this to say about forgiveness:
“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
Today we heard Christ’s parable about the servant who owed the King a large amount of money. When faced with severe punishment, the servant begged for mercy and the King actually forgave him the entire debt. What a second chance the master gave the servant!
But then we hear that this same servant wouldn’t forgive someone who owed him some money. He even had that person thrown in prison. When the King heard how this man treated someone who owed him, the King harshly confronted this servant and punished him. This servant just couldn’t, and wouldn’t, forgive as he was forgiven.
That word ‘forgive’ is really two words, ‘for’ and ‘give’, and each word poses its own challenges when it comes to showing mercy and forgiveness to others.
‘For’ and ‘give’… ‘For’ is oftentimes easier to do. Although going to Confession can be personally challenging, it’s a good experience to finally ask ‘for’ forgiveness for our faults, sins, and wrongdoing. The desperate servant in the beginning of the parable humbled himself enough to ask ‘for’ forgiveness and it was granted to him.
The ‘give’ part of ‘forgive’ is harder. That servant was asked to ‘give’ to another the very thing he had just been granted by the King: mercy. But could he give it? Had his heart been touched and converted so that he could bestow mercy to another?
Every day we’re presented with occasions in which we can forgive:
- When someone cuts us off in traffic
- When someone ignores us and hurts our feelings
- When someone fails to thank us for a favor and we get upset
When we forgive in small ways like these, we’re creating a habit of forgiveness. How many times, we should consider, do others need to forgive us?
Jesus is telling us that forgiveness is on these two levels: God has mercy ‘for’ us, and, in turn, asks us to ‘give’ it to others in our lives. Most of us rejoice in the first and stumble on the second. But Scripture leaves us no alternative other than to forgive. Our eternal salvation depends on it.
Jesus finishes the story saying: “My heavenly father will treat you in exactly the same way unless each of you forgives your brother or sister from your heart.” God considers our ‘giving’ forgiveness to others as important as his forgiveness ‘for’ us.
With much gratitude, we thank God today ‘for’ God’s unconditional forgiveness to us. With humility, let’s pray that we, in turn, can ‘give’ that gift of forgiveness to others.
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