18th Sunday after Pentecost 9 October 2022 Forgiveness
The Scribes questioned Our Lord’s right or ability to forgive sins. He had the right to forgive because, being God, all sins are a direct personal offence to Himself, and therefore within His power to forgive.
Every sin pushes the sinner further away from Christ. It is a personal matter, not just the breaking of a rule.
Forgiveness restores what the sin has broken. When God forgives He treats the sinner as though nothing had happened. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow (Is 1,18). As far as the east is from the west so far has He moved our transgressions from us. (Ps 102 (103),12)
People might write others off after an offence has been committed. There is often a strong desire for revenge. Not with God. He desires only the return of the sinner to a state of friendship.
God has no hatred or dislike for the sinner; He has only good will. He is not like humans insofar as He does not get progressively annoyed and impatient and finally lose His temper!
He is absolutely beyond such turbulence of feeling. He simply waits and hopes for true contrition from each person.
Sometimes the sin is punished. This is not revenge on God's part; it is meant to lead the sinner to reflect on the damage his sins have caused, and so be less likely to commit those sins again.
God looks on all sinners with love. But the sinners might not return that love, even after being offered forgiveness.
The forgiveness remains on offer; it is there in potential but not fully effective until acknowledged and received.
It is like a starving person who refuses to eat, though there is food available.
People usually welcome things which are free, but many are afraid of the ‘religious’ dimension in the case of mercy. They do not necessarily want to give up all their worldly ways.
Sin has a way of enslaving people, such that it is like an addiction which can be very hard to shake off.
Forgiveness is a great gift from God because we do not deserve such favourable treatment. ‘Forgiving’ is intensified giving. It is giving more than strict justice requires. It is like paying ten times the price of an object, purely out of generosity.
There is a proviso for us: we have to make a serious effort to refrain from further sin.
Even this, however, can be forgiven if we do not immediately break free.
True repentance will usually take more than one time; it has to be a continuous moving away from sin and towards God.
There is another proviso too, and that is that we must forgive one another. No small matter!
This is a condition Our Lord puts on divine forgiveness: But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mt 6,15).
And the parable of the unforgiving debtor, Mt 18,21-35.
God expects us to see – as He does – the value behind the other person, even when that person has offended us. Just as God hopes and works for reconciliation with the offender, so should we.
This is part of the general requirement on Christians that we must love others, even if they do not love us.
Our willingness to forgive others should be on offer, in potential. If reconciliation happens, that is good. If not, I still have goodwill towards the offender, and will not add any further sin on my own account.
If we have a merciful attitude this creates an environment where reconciliation becomes much more likely.
And a lot less sin too, as we learn the ways of charity.
Lord, have mercy!
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