Gospel Reading for the Day
From the holy Gospel according to
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| THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT. Image from achristianpilgrim.wordpress.com |
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?
Jesus answered,
"I say to you, not seven but seventy-seven times." [21-22]
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
Personal reflection on the Reading
Sharing for the Day
According to St Augustine, the number seventy-seven is not a limit by which we shall reckon the number of times that we ought to forgive those who sin against us. Instead, it is but a figure used by the Lord to emphasize that forgiveness must be unlimited, that is, as many times a brother sins and asks forgiveness, one must do forgive. As it is stated in the Lord's Prayer, forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us. Therefore, if we want to be forgiven unlimitedly by the Father, so we must forgive others limitlessly too.
The number seven in Jewish numerology signifies perfection. Hence Peter's use of the number seven is actually an attempt to appear perfect already. It is considered as an anti-thesis to the frequency of how many times Cain would be avenged if he is killed for his murder of Abel [Genesis 4:15]. But the Lord moves further on, perhaps recalling that of Lamech's declaration that if he is killed, he would be avenged seventy-seven times [Genesis 4:24]. With this He overturns the cycle of vengeance into the better option of forgiveness.
Being a Christian and friend of the Lord Jesus Christ we must be ready to load ourselves with unlimited forgiving. We must not be like the unforgiving servant who after being forgiven fails to forgive his fellow servant. For part and parcel of being a Christian and a friend of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be forgiving. It is a great inconsistency to say one is a Christian and yet unable to forgive. Remember that being a Christian is being fully conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, being another Christ!
Many times we act like the unforgiving servant. We ask God to forgive us and yet we seem incapable of forgiving others. We think of God as very capable of forgiveness but we forget that we have been made in His image and likeness hence we are supposed to be capable of doing the same. Moreover, the Lord tells us that we should be holy or perfect like our Father and it surely includes being forgiving. Maybe we will say that it is easy for Him to forgive for He is God. Well, as a Christian and a friend of the Lord we have been given the Spirit of God and that same Spirit, if we give Him the chance, shall operate in us and configure us into other Christs, He who has forgiven all those who have done Him wrong while being crucified on the Cross.
This Season of Lent, the themes of repentance and forgiveness provide us the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with God and our intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be open to the workings of the Holy Spirit so that we may be totally transformed into being children of the Father who are fully alive with love.
Application of the Message
[1] Prayer
Pray for the grace to forgive someone who seems to be unforgiveable.
[2] Abstinence
Abstain from any thing that blocks you from forgiving someone.
[3] Almsgiving
What can you share today as a manifestation of forgiving others?
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