25th Sunday after Pentecost (Readings: 5th Sunday after Epiphany) 10.11.13 Another chance
‘Give me time, and I will pay you...’ – the words of the debtor in Our Lord’s parable on mercy (Mt 18, 21-35).
The one in debt will always plead for more time to repay. Perhaps with more time circumstances will change; something will ‘turn up’ and all will be set right.
We could see our whole time upon this earth as ‘more time’; each extra day of our lives a chance to draw closer to Almighty God; to repair the damage our past sins have caused; to resolve on a better way of life from now on.
He is so patient with us, as indicated in today’s Gospel. He lets the weeds grow alongside the wheat, the bad people mix with the good - in the hope that they will become good.
We are not naturally so patient. We wonder, at least as a first reaction, why God does not remove all the bad people? We have to be careful whom we want removed. At another time He might have been removing us!
God wants to give everyone the greatest possible chance of being saved. He gives another chance, in fact, many other chances – every day is one.
No, the bad people probably don't deserve another chance but then neither did we.
It is not a question of deserving, but of pure generosity on God’s part. He hopes, and so should we, that all those presently away from Him will take up His offer of mercy.
The epistle makes the same point. You must bear with one another’s faults... the Lord’s generosity to you must be the model of yours.
We must make allowances for each other. Instead of just hating those who offend us, we desire their change of heart. We give them ‘more time’, another chance. In the hope that they will turn into better people than they are right now. This is what Christ would do, and what the Christian must do.
If we are all one Body in Christ then the health of all depends on the health of each one. Just as with the human body if one part is hurting it is enough to make the whole person uncomfortable.
The Body of Christ is torn by so much hatred, hardness of heart, division. We all suffer from this. All the more reason that anything we can do to restore peace is going to help.
Even if others don't change it is still better for the peace of the Body and the good of one’s own soul, if we live with this attitude.
We must be what we would like others to be.
We give others a chance just as we would hope they would do for us, and not foreclose too quickly.
Our Lord said we should forgive others seventy times seven (Mt 18,22). We must forgive repeatedly, even if there is no sign of improvement. Always governing our reaction is the hope that the offending person will change.
Even Our Lord Himself could not convert everyone from bad to good, but this did not deter Him from keeping to the same policy; and even giving His life in atonement for sin.
He knew, as He did this, that there would be many who still would not change; but He went ahead. So must we. It is not so much whether we succeed or fail with this policy as simply that it is the best way to follow. It brings out the best in us and may bring out the best in others.
We tend to see this forgiving of others as a very difficult business; something we might just manage to do if we really put in an effort.
But it is meant to come easier than that. It is no more than passing on a very small part of the mercy and forbearance that we have already received from God.
We have another chance to give others another chance!
No comments:
Post a Comment