PASSING ON FORWARD!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Lenten Weekday

By Lorenz S. Centino, Jr. Matthew 18: 21 - 35
21	Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall 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 times seven.
23	"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24	When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;
25	and as he could not pay, his lord 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, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
27	And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
28	But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.'
29	So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
30	He refused and went and put him in prison till 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 lord all that had taken place.
32	Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me;
33	and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
34	And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till 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."

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED TUESDAY TO ALL!!!

To be indebted to someone is something that we all are into in different ways and to different people. We owe to someone who lends us a hand when we are in need of help and support. We owe a lot to our parents who nurtured us and provided us with the basic necessities in life. We owe to our teachers the knowledge and skills that we learned in school that equipped us with the know-how in our work or profession. There are also some things that we owe to someone that we need to settle with. If we owe money to someone that we agree to pay at a certain period of time, such payment much be fulfilled. But there are situations or circumstances that make us to feel owed to do something to anyone because of what is given to us. There are certain “FAVORS” or “SPECIAL TREATMENTS” that made us to feel indebted to someone that requires us to PASS ON FORWARD the same favors or special treatments to anyone. By the very nature of the favors or special treatments, we are compelled to do the same to others.

One of these special treatments or favors that we are compelled to pass on forward by its very nature is FORGIVENESS. To be forgiven is to forgive. The Gospel today does not just speak about the admonition of the Lord to us to be forgiving but it also clarifies how many times should we forgive. Peter brought out the issue about forgiveness. He could have tried to make a good impression to the Lord that he offers a seemingly very admirable answer to his own question. Peter asked the Lord about how MANY TIMES we should forgive those who sinned against us. And he was hinting an impressive answer of SEVEN TIMES. Peter could have thought that he is very merciful and compassionate for being ready to forgive anyone seven times. He could be proud of what he is capable of.

Forgiveness is a very “HOT ISSUE” Jesus would like his disciples to understand and practice so that they can teach and pass it on forward to others. Jesus was living in a very DISCRIMINATING society where sinners are considered to be outcasts. This would just show how the Jewish community, taking pride of being the Chosen People of God, is NOT a forgiving community. How many times, in the gospels, the religious leaders are scandalized seeing Jesus mingling with sinners and offers forgiveness to them. In the Gospel today Jesus makes a very BOLD ADMONITION that they should not just forgive seven times but SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN. Jesus is declaring to them what seem to be UNTHINKABLE and IMPOSSIBLE. Jesus is demanding from them to FORGIVE WITHOUT COUNTING how many times they will do it!

We are all GUILTY of SIN! To be forgiving is not just a personal issue about a personal character of a person becoming merciful and compassionate during the time of Jesus. Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness goes beyond the private quality of being merciful and compassionate to sinners. Jesus goes beyond the question of how should “I” forgive others. Jesus opens up also the eyes, minds, heart of the people about the SOCIAL DIMENSION of forgiveness. Jesus is also dismantling the DISCRIMINATING and UNFORGIVING COLLECTIVE MINDSET of the people. Jesus parable of the two debtors highlights the demand of Jesus for a SOCIAL MINDSET that is MERCIFUL and COMPASSIONATE to sinners. A social mindset that is NOT VINDICTIVE and JUDGMENTAL but FORGIVING.

But what the Lord wants us to realize first is how forgiving is our God. If God forgives us, so must we too be forgiving to anyone. This is the essence of the dictum, “Kung ang Diyos ay nagpapatawad, tayo pa kaya!” This dictum reveals clearly the command of Jesus to PASS ON FORWARD the FORGIVENESS God the Father has freely bestowed upon us ENDLESSLY. If we fail doing so, the Lord is very clear in saying, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”