Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 13, 2020
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?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, 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.
“So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.
“But 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.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.
“When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’
“And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
The central image that stands out to me in this gospel passage is the contrast between the master’s initial mercy towards the servant and the servant’s aggressive treatment of his fellow servant. We would say that the master was understanding and compassionate if he had given the servant more time to pay the debt. Instead, the master forgives the debt entirely! This is more than forbearance, this is mercy.
God offers this type of mercy to all of us yet, all too often, we behave like the wicked servant. We lack compassion, understanding, and patience for the people in our lives. It is so startling to hear that the servant, who just had his own very large debt forgiven, seizes his fellow servant “by the throat” and “throws him into prison.” How can he not realize his own hypocrisy? The imagery is stark, but it is not overly dramatic. God offers to forgive the debt of sin that I could never repay yet I somehow fail to see my own hypocrisy when I am unwilling to forgive others. The worst part is that I do this the most with the people who are closest to me, whom I love the most. Don’t we all?
In the end, the wicked servant is punished severely. It can seem harsh to end the story this way but I remind myself that the servant is not judged harshly by the master because of his debt. In fact, his debt is already forgiven. He is judged harshly because he fails to forgive. I pray that the mercy I receive from God can transform my life, inspiring me to forgive others as I have been forgiven.
Prayer
Lord, please grant us the desire to want to learn how to forgive as you do. When we beg for forgiveness, you readily grant it. All is wiped clean, all is forgotten. We put our trust in your generosity. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Hippolytus was one of the most important writers and thinkers in the Church before the fourth century. He was a learned priest in Rome and renowned for his eloquence. He became overzealous, however, and spoke out against several popes for being too lax with people who strayed from the faith, or for not denouncing a certain heresy forcefully enough. He thought the faithful should be an undefiled body of people, and was elected as a rival pope.
Pope Pontian (pictured here) was elected in 230, and was able to reconcile with Hippolytus and restore union to the Church. Shortly afterwards, the Roman emperor began persecuting Christians, and both Pontian and Hippolytus were exiled to Sardinia, which was known for its harsh conditions. Before his arrest, Pontian stepped down from his role as pope so that the Christian community could select another leader in his absence.
Both men labored in mines and died there due to exhaustion. The bodies of both men were retrieved and returned to Rome for burial and veneration as martyrs for the faith. Relics of both saints rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
Saints Pontian and Hippolytus, you were bitter rivals who reconciled before your exile and death—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Pope St. Pontian is in the public domain. Last accessed March 27, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
