In today Gospel, Matthew 18, 21-19:1, Peter asks Jesus how many times does he need to forgive those who sin against him: "As many as seven times?" Peter asks. Jesus responds: "Not seven times but seventy-seven times," Peter. Jesus then goes on to describe the Kingdom of heaven in terms of a king settling accounts with those who owe him money. The king has a debtor brought before him who owes way more than he could ever pay off. The debtor's master, therefore, orders that this person's "wife, his children, and all his property be sold as payment." The poor man, totally distraught, begs his master to have pity on him. "Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full." The master dissolves the debtor's entire loan. He owes nothing, nothing at all.
That is us, folks! Because of our sins, we owe God a debt that, in no way, are we able to pay off. In his mercy, God resolves our debt entirely through the passion, death and resurrection of His only begotten Son, whom He sends into the world to reveal God's love for us! Jesus pays our debt! emus is our ransom!
Will we, by the way we live our lives in justice, love, mercy, and forgiveness accept God's pardon? Or are we squandering God's gift of salvation by doing what the forgiven man did: treating others mercilessly? "Should [we] not have...pity on [our] fellow servant[s], as [God] has pity on [us]?
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