Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: August 17, 2023

Date in the Ordine: Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture Text: Matthew 18:21–19:1

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, 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 loan. 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.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel for today from the Gospel of Matthew brings us the account of Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant in response to the disciple Peter’s question concerning forgiveness. The whole of the parable revolves around mercy, the compassion and forgiveness shown to another. The king is our merciful LORD. The unforgiving servant is anyone of us who has received the LORD’s mercy yet withholds it from one of our sisters or brothers. Jesus’ point was that the LORD who is merciful towards us demands that we be merciful and forgiving towards our sisters and brothers as the Our Father calls us to be – “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.”

How does this pertain to us today?

Mercy and forgiveness will be a part of every person’s journey through all ages because of our human capacity for sin, for choosing ourselves over others, for choosing what we want rather than what is best and necessary to grow healthy relationships with our LORD and one another. If we are to build those healthy relationships required by our LORD for our salvation, we must learn to be people of mercy as our heavenly LORD is merciful.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

How forgiving am I? Do I tend to hold grudges? Do I dwell on the hurt others have caused? Am I able to set down the hurt at the foot of the Cross, embrace the mercy of our loving LORD, and forgive others?

Praying:

LORD, I know how very much I need your mercy because I am far from perfect though I try daily to live as You call me to live, full of love for You and for my sisters and brothers. Send your Spirit, I beg of You, to soften my heart and sow seeds of mercy and compassion for my sisters and brothers so that I might be a person of forgiveness and mercy as You call me to be. Amen.