Weekly Missionary Reflection
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 17 September 2023
Sir. 27:30 – 28:9; Ps. 103:1-2,3-4,9-10,11-12; Rom. 14:7-9; Mat. 18:21-35
One of the Lord Jesus’ teachings that might be the most difficult to do is how to forgive and how much we have forgiven those who hurt us. In the Gospel (Mat 18:21) reading today, Jesus told a parable of forgiving based on Peter’s question: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Matr. 18:21). Peter’s question on the number of forgiveness is seen as his reaction to Jesus’ teaching of how to forgive a brother who sinned (Matt. 18:15-20). We should take the question and reaction of Peter in a broader context. In Genesis, there was a cruel law of revenge. The formula was quoted in connection with Lamech’s saying: “If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” (Gen. 4:24). God could not accept the attitude of Lamech and everybody who liked revenge at that time. Therefore, God set up a rule that was just and limited the revenge: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Lev. 24:20).
Approaching the era of Messiah, this rule of revenge, which was initially considered more just, was reviewed again. This review was based on the principle that good people do not revenge, as they surrender their problems to God: “But, You, Lord of hosts, just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!” (Jer. 11:20). How did Jesus react? Jesus sternly rejected the law of revenge. He demanded the enemies to be loved and persecutors to be prayed (Matt. 5:44). Jesus’ teaching to forgive seventy times seven (Matt. 18:22) is in contrast to Lamech’s vow to revenge seventy-seven times. With this statement, Jesus had changed the benchmark of revenge to the law of forgiving, endless forgiving. For Jesus, humans actually do not forgive, if they do, they only do it a few times. Jesus emphasized that there is no limit to forgiving and receiving forgiveness. He told this teaching with a parable of 2 kinds of debt. The first man had a huge amount of debt. Yet, this person with a huge debt failed to make himself forgive the man who owed him a much smaller amount.
Through Jesus, God the King, has forgiven our sins at no charge, as Jesus taught to His disciples. Our huge sin that we can not be paid has been forgiven. Our Father in Heaven sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself to redeem us from our sins, Satan, and death. The Evangelist Paul mentioned, “You have been purchased at a price” (1 Cor. 7:23) and the price is Jesus’ death on the cross. Through His blood on the cross, Jesus not only granted forgiveness for our sins, but He has freed us from Satan and the slavery of sins.
How do we respond? The only correct response to such grace is to let God change our hearts so that we can treat others as mercifully as Him. Such strength can be obtained if we are ready and willing to avoid revenge in order to reach a reconciliation. If Jesus has shown His mercy by forgiving our sins, so do we have to show our love and mercy to everybody who hurts us. The willingness to forgive those who hurt us is a holy duty. If we expect God to forgive us and show His mercy when we sin and disobey His commandments, we must release our hatred, complaints, and bad intentions to our neighbors. Jesus teaches us to pray every day asking for grace and strength to forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us (Matt. 6:12,14-15). If we don’t follow God’s way of forgiving our neighbors, God will treat us the way we treat others. By doing this way, we are isolating ourselves from the Kingdom of Heaven as experienced by the servant who did not forgive the man who owed him. Let us strive not to isolate ourselves from the Kingdom of Heaven.
(RP. Silvester Nusa, CSsR – Lecturer of Weetebula Catholic University, NTT)
DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER
Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.
Together with St. Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church of this month:
For people living on the margins
We pray for those living on the margins of society, in inhumane life conditions; may they not be overlooked by institutions and never considered of lesser importance.
For Forgiving Inspiration
We pray for our willingness to read and dig into the inspiration of the Scriptures for repentance, so we can realize that every single human has the right to be forgiven if he repents of his sin, and prays for forgiveness from the merciful Lord.
Amen.
Situs Resmi Karya Misi Kepausan Indonesia (KMKI) 