The Call to Practice Forgiveness

Daily Office Devotional, Friday, June 21, 2024

Proper 6, the week of  the fourth Sunday after Pentecost

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrases for reflection from today’s reading:

21 Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ 22Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 971)

AM Psalm 88; PM Psalm 91, 92

Num. 13:1-3,21-30; Rom. 2:25-3:8; Matt. 18:21-35

David’s Reflections

In the play, “Richard II,” Shakespeare has King Richard appeal to Mowbray and Boling in these words:

"Deep malice makes too deep incision.

Forget, forgive, conclude and be agreed.”*

The first character in the parable in today’s Gospel could well have heeded these words.  The backdrop of this parable appears to be revenue officers giving an account of their collections to their king.  The first could not pay the amount promised in his contract. Jesus exaggerates the number, 10,000 talents, to make the point that divine abundance is at work.  Some monarchs did not collect even 1,000 talents for an entire year.

The servant begged for patience on the part of the king.  To his shock, the king forgave the entire debt.  But, we the hearers of this story, are shocked to find this same person confronting a fellow servant over a small debt (about 90 days pay for a day laborer), grabbing him by the throat, and throwing him into debtor’s prison when he was unable to pay.  When the king learned of that lack of compassion, he revoked the forgiveness, reimposed the debt, and put the man in debtor’s prison to be tortured to reveal the location of his wealth.

Obviously, a direct comparison between the king and God provides us with a less-than-appealing picture of a God who reneges and tortures.  But, if we keep to the main thrust of the parable, the issue of forgiveness, we can find a point of comparison.  Just as the king forgave the servant a huge, unpayable debt, so God has forgiven us our sins and wiped out our mis-lived past as far as our relationship with God is concerned.

Also, we are to expect that such immeasurable love and forgiveness will effect change, transformation, and the birth of compassion in our lives.  We would bring that transformed soul into our relationships with others and find ourselves enabled to forgive those who have wronged us. Remember the Our Father, “forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who have sinned against. us.”

If we allow the wounds suffered from others to breed malice, we place ourselves spiritually at risk.  Whatever we allow to block the flow of our love and forgiveness to another will act as a barrier hindering God from reaching us with love and forgiveness.  Our relationships with God and with others are inseparable.  The way we treat one another is the way we treat the Christ who lives in each of us.

This parable will not leave us alone with our malice.  It calls on us, as does Shakespeare, to “forgive, forget, conclude, and be agreed.”*  To forgive demands suffering loss.  The king in the parable would have lost that huge amount of money. God in Christ has suffered incalculable loss to forgive us.  To forgive as God forgives us, we must bear the wounds suffered without yielding to the temptation to wound back.  But, to forgive means to gain as well.  God has gained our love and loyalty by forgiving us.  We gain or regain vital connections with other people when we forgive them.

We can look into our history and celebrate the forgiveness of God so consistently and abundantly given.  And, we can allow that forgiveness to generate in us the resolve to have done with malice, no matter what the cost and no matter how long it takes. And, to forgive may well be a process. To be hasty and rush to forgive before the pain has been processed and released would be destructive to the forgiver and would not lead to freedom from the wounds of the past.

German New Testament scholar Ernst Lohmeyer, in his classic work on The Lord’s Prayer wrote, " . . . our 'human forgiveness' can and must be understood simply as a reflection of the divine forgiveness. . . . all forgiveness which we can give our debtors is only the effect of the forgiveness which we have experienced from God.” +

I normally do not recommend books in these reflections, but today I am making an exception. These are two of the best and still available online.

Dennis and Shelia Linn and Mathew Linn, Don’t Forgive Too Soon: Extending Two Hands That Heal. Paulist Press, 1997.

David Augsberger, Caring Enough to Forgive—Caring Enough Not to Forgive. Baker, 1982.

*William Shakespeare, "Richard II," I. 1. 155-156.  Shakespeare:  The Complete Works.  Edited by G. B. Harrison.  (New York:  Harcourt, 1952), p. 437.

+Ernst Lohmeyer, The Lord's Prayer, trans John Bowden (London: Collins, 1965), pp. 182-183.

Collect of the Day, Proper 6, the Week of the fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 230)

A Collect for Fridays

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP, 97)

A Collect for Quiet Confidence

O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP, 832)

In the Order of Worship for Evening

Almighty, everlasting God, let our prayer in your sight be as incense, the lifting up of our hands as the evening sacrifice. Give us grace to behold you, present in your Word and Sacraments, and to recognize you in the lives of those around us. Stir up in us the flame of that love which burned in the heart of your Son as he bore his passion, and let it burn in us to eternal life and to the ages of ages. Amen.  (BCP, 113)

A Collect for Mission

O God of all the nations of the earth: Remember the multitudes who have been created in your image but have not known the redeeming work of our Savior Jesus Christ; and grant that, by the prayers and labors of your holy Church, they may be brought to know and worship you as you have been revealed in your Son; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 257)

Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ 22Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 23‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’

Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer