FORGIVENESS
JOSHUA 3:7-11, 13-17; PSALM 114; MATTHEW 18:21–19:1
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant may look like a lesson in debt repayment, but beneath the numbers lies a sharper truth: forgiveness is the currency of heaven. Yes, Psalm 37:21 warns, “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.” So, pay your debts, both financial and moral—but never exploit the mercy of the righteous, and above all, never abuse the mercy of God.
Peter’s question “How many times must I forgive?” was his way of asking, “When can I finally hold a grudge?” But Jesus’ answer “seventy times seven”—shattered the limits of human tolerance. Christ was not asking us to be punching bags for abuse. Forgiveness is not an invitation to remain in toxic, destructive cycles. We can forgive and still walk away. Even God, while rich in mercy, calls the unrepentant obstinate. Mercy without change is abuse; forgiveness without transformation is mockery.
Forgiveness is not weakness—it is a sign of spiritual maturity. If we cannot forgive, then we do not know God, for “to err is human, but to forgive is divine.” And here lies the fire of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s example: in Auschwitz, he forgave his captors and willingly gave his life for another prisoner. His words pierce the soul: “Hatred is not a creative force; only love is creative.” Forgiveness is the soil in which the seeds of love grow, without it, nothing eternal survives.
So, if forgiveness feels impossible, stand before the crucifix, pray the Our Father slowly, and remember the Ark of the Lord in the first reading, God’s presence going ahead to make a way where there was none. May His presence lead us beyond grudges into the promised land of peace. Amen.
LET US PRAY
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.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
