Sunday, September 8 (August 26), 2024
11th Sunday after Pentecost
1Cor. 9:2-12; Mt. 18:23-35                                                      

The Lord concludes His parable of the two debtors with the following words: “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” [Mt. 18:35].  Such a small thing is required from us: to forgive.  If we forgive, then we will be forgiven; then God’s will receive us in His mercy; then we will inherit all His treasures.  Thus, forgiveness is a key to salvation, to Paradise, to eternal bliss: such an immense gain for such a tiny price of forgiveness!...

Yes, it is indeed tiny, but we hate to forgive: there is scarcely anything harder than forgiveness for a selfish soul.  Maybe we can forgive a trifle, some minor embarrassment caused to us in private; but when the matter is more serious, and especially when it happens in public, ─ no way!  don’t even ask.   Sometimes we have to suppress our outrage; our tongue might be silent, but the heart is effusing malice.  And as soon as our rage gets just a little bit worse, we snap ─ and then nothing can stop us, neither shame, nor fear, nor reason.

Exploded selfishness drives men crazy and they completely lose control over themselves.  This sort of trouble afflict mostly intelligent, sensitive people; they are the least likely to forgive in the fullness of the heart, as the Lord has commanded.  While a semblance of civilized behavior towards the offender might be soon restored, such a person would be boiling with animosity forever.

Read more about the author