We’ve all heard the Parable about the servant who owes much to his master and is about to be sold off along with his whole family to pay the debt. But the servant begs the master, and his debt is mercifully forgiven. Then the servant goes out and tries to collect from someone who owes him. When he does not get the payment, he has him thrown in prison. The other servants who witnessed this alerted the Master. The Master calls him wicked, chastising him for not being forgiving as he was forgiven, and hands him over to torturers until the whole debt is paid. Mt.18:21-19:1
The Call to Forgive
The obvious point is forgiveness. As well it should be. After all, that is the whole basis for Christianity; Jesus’ sacrifice, and forgiveness of OUR sins to redeem all who ask for it. He will not give it without our involvement since God never infringes on our Free Will. But there is so much more to this than the Church has put into its theology and sacraments.
The only prayer Jesus specifically gave to the Apostles was the Lord’s Prayer. This parable is reiterated in the lines “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
The Human Struggle With Forgiveness
When it comes to forgiveness, do we keep score? We think we forgive because we know it is the right thing to do. But aren’t we actually keeping score? You know what I mean. We tell ourselves or others we forgive their offense, yet we do not let it go. The tally sheet grows quite large when you are a “forgiving” person. You are naturally ready to collect forgiveness when you commit an offense. You expect total forgiveness and are offended when your offense is not brushed off and totally forgiven.
This tit for tat can go on endlessly. And often does. So where does it end? It takes a truly contrite heart to ask for forgiveness.
“A clean heart create for me, God; and renew in me a steadfast spirit“
Ask for forgiveness with the intent not to repeat it. And what a relief it is to know you are forgiven when the offense is forgiven and forgotten.
Confession, Contrition, and Atonement
That is the power of the sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church. To KNOW that your confessed sins (offenses) are forgiven. The priest is acting Persona Christi, in the person of Christ. Jesus gave the church (through the succession of Apostles) the power to forgive sins.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained”.
The beauty of Confession is the reconciliation with the one truly offended, God. A renewal. Ezekiel the Prophet is told by God,
“I will give you a new heart and place a new Spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.”
This sacrament in the Catholic Church is called both Confession and Reconciliation. The only catch is that you must be truly sorry. Your contrition may be perfect or imperfect. You are throwing yourself at the feet of Jesus, asking for Mercy and forgiveness. Confession should be entered with considerable thought about your sins. If you reflect on the 10 commandments and the 7 deadly sins, you can see which deadly sin was the root of your offense. Was it greed that made you steal? Was it lust that made you covet your neighbor’s wife? Was it Anger and Pride that made you belittle and fight with your spouse?
Of course, when possible, we should provide some form of restitution to make up for the offense. (The church calls this Penance.) After the priest has counseled you and absolved you from your sins, he will request a penance to the penitent (usually some form of prayer). Then he asks you to recite The Act of Contrition:
”Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment. But most of all because they offend thee my God who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to sin no more and avoid the near occasion of sin, Amen.”
The line “To avoid the near occasion of sin” echoes the last line of the ‘Our Father’…” And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”.
Sin abounds. Jesus asks us to seek forgiveness from the heart. While Confession absolves sin and we are once again clothed in the white garment of baptism, it can be a struggle not to fall from this sacramental grace. Because of original sin (Adam and Eve’s fall), we are born into Satan’s realm. The sacrament of Baptism puts us in God’s hands.
In the sacrament of Confession, there is the matter of atonement. While we can ask for forgiveness and be forgiven, there is still restitution to be paid, atonement. If it is not accomplished in our lifetime, it follows us into the afterlife. That is the (simple) theology behind Purgatory. (See related article on God’s gift of Purgatory.) “Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.” Mt. 18:34.
The Witness and the World Around Us
Besides the Master and the servant in this parable, there is a third party. The witnesses. Those who point out the sinful man’s transgression of not being forgiving. Which of these people do you identify with most?
- The forgiving person
- The sinner, asking for forgiveness
- The witness pointing out others’ faults
In this age of technology, which not only gives us news but also allows us to chime in with our opinions on every matter, we see criticism abused whenever injustice occurs. In our parable, the crowd witnessed forgiveness and then expected forgiveness and mercy to be shown in return by the one gifted the Mercy. Was that an immediate reaction? Did they have time to take that lesson home and carry it in their hearts themselves? Or were they so quick to judge that they became like the Pharisees who wanted to stone the adulterous woman caught in sin?
When I see brutal negative remarks posted on comments on a news story or on Facebook, I cringe. My mind goes back to the crowds in the bible yelling, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” Where is our compassion for our fellow man, our patience, and our tolerance then? Where is forgiveness?
