The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

It’s the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time and today’s gospel is about the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant that we have already read so many times before. It is in Matt.18: 21-35.

“21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.[a] 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.[b] 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

“26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant wet out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’

“30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,[e] until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

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This parable is connected to last Sunday’s gospel on how to handle any trouble or problems between family members and friends. The first way is to call your kin and confront each other on your personal problems in the hope that you can both solve your problems amongst yourselves without involving others. Unfortunately so many Christians or Catholics don’t seem to listen to this.

Today so many people rely on our judiciary system. They hire expensive lawyers who can best interpret the law in their favor. Often times a smarter lawyer can win your case for you or, worse, if that lawyer has some connection to a corrupt judge to win your case. But little do we realize that God who sees and knows everything. After you die, you might not enter heaven because you obtained a wrong decision in your case. This just makes me wonder how many people are languishing in hell because of a corrupt decision by a corrupt judge?

There is a very important prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us, it is his own prayer that we call the Our Father. Allow me to reprint this prayer for our readers.

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

Clearly the Lord’s Prayer is a complete prayer and the most significant point is for us to never forget that while we ask God to forgive us our trespasses, for as long as we forgive those who trespass against us. As we learned in our parable today, God himself said, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” For sure, this is one parable that is not difficult to understand and we hope and pray that our faithful brethren learn that forgiving other persons of their sins or debts is really something that God wants us to do in this life!