11th Sunday After Pentecost

   We don’t need to be theologians to know what our Lord is telling us as He opens today’s Gospel reading.  A certain King wanted to settle accounts with His servants!

The “certain King” is God.  His is coming again with awesome glory and mighty power to judge the living and the dead—to settle accounts.

And my debt is huge.

I know we’ve done this before, but it bears repeating for the sake of effect.  Ten thousand talents of silver is equivalent to roughly 375 tons.  The price of silver as this is being penned is $38.32 per ounce.  That 375 tons equates to about 11 million ounces, or a monetary equivalent of just under $422 billion (with a “b”) dollars.

Why does our Lord offer an example such as this?  I think there are two reasons.

First:  In showing that the “certain King” is willing to forgive such an enormous debt, there is a loud and clear statement about the magnanimity of the King.  For someone to NOT be attached to such an incredibly large sum, He would have to be the Possessor of everything.  And so without defining God, the words show clearly that this is in fact God.

Second:  In showing the possibility of incurring a debt this large, one cannot ascribe it to the world at large.  Who could amass a debt of a half a billion dollars?  Countries do.  People don’t!  And so the parable must be pointing to something other than a financial matter.

Remember the third paragraph?

My debt is huge!  My sins are beyond numbering.  And my repentance is shallow, not commensurate with the sins I have committed.

And so, like today’s servant, my only recourse is to fall down before the King, offering the very same words as my own petition—Master, have patience with me.  In short, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!”

Now here comes the hard part.

Not unlike the servant in today’s Gospel reading, I demand recourse for sins associated with my fellow servants.  It may not be so much related to what they “owe” me.  Typically my failure in dealing with my fellow servants is judgmentalism.  “Look at what you’ve done!”  “You deserve to be punished for that!” 

Having received the great blessing, the promise that my sins will be forgiven because of my repentance, I immediately turn on others making myself judge, jury, and hangman.

And for this, I, like today’s servant, deserve the same recall before the King and to be re-sentenced to an even greater punishment.

Why is it so difficult to be loving to those who surround us, regardless of how they treat us?

St. John Chrysostom says this.  No one can feel hatred towards those for whom he prays.

St. Paul speaks in numerous places about this.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if you have any grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col 3:13)  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Eph 4:32)

Lord, give to me a heart that is as forgiving as it is repentant, and grant me sincere repentance while You bless me to continue in this life!