The theme for our reflection is ‘Mercy of God without limits, a challenge to forgive 77 times.’ My dear brothers, my dear sisters, reflecting on God’s forgiveness, we cannot but acknowledge how the mercy and forgiveness of God is unlimited. Perhaps, we may even feel a bit embarrassed at the uncountable number of times that we have had to draw on the mercy and forgiveness of God; whether our transgressions are open and obvious, or kept secret from others, whether they have been sources of scandal and deeply upsetting, or they are categorised as venial, the reality remains that God’s mercy knows no bounds.
Despite our understandable fear of standing before God as our ultimate judge, it is necessary for us to remember that His attributes extend far beyond passing judgement on people. Indeed, God is not only infinitely wise and powerful, but also infinitely merciful. His capacity for mercy by far exceeds any manifestation of mercy that any human being could ever possibly offer. In considering the parable presented to us in Matthew 18:21-35, it is important to pay close attention to a detail that may have previously gone unnoticed. In the parable, we hear of a servant who had been under the heavy burden of a debt that he found himself unable to pay in the time given to him.
He pleaded with his master for a rescheduling of the debt, that he should be given more time in which to pay the debt. He threw himself down at the feet of his master, and his words were evidently sincere, ‘My lord, be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Astonishingly, the master not only accepted the servant’s plea, but moved by compassion, exceeded his expectations by granting him full forgiveness of the debt. In an act of unparalleled generosity, the master totally and without any condition released the servant from the yoke of his indebtedness.
The master in that parable represents none other than God Himself. Just as the master extends unmerited forgiveness to the servant, so is God waiting anxiously to completely absolve us of our spiritual debts. However, this divine forgiveness comes with a crucial caveat, that is, we must learn to forgive those who have wronged us. The teachings of Jesus emphasise the importance of forgiveness, urging us to extend it without limit. When asked how often we must forgive our brother, Jesus responds with the metaphorical number, 77 times, signifying an infinite and boundless capacity to forgive.
In moments where we may be tempted to feel that enough is enough, it is vital to remember the vast disparity between the measure of injury that can be inflicted upon us by our fellow human being and the gravity of the sins that we do commit against God. Any harm done to us, fails in comparison to the countless transgressions we have committed against our creator. My dear friends, in acknowledging the forgiveness that we receive from God to become aware of our frailty and fallibility as human beings, people with a high level of propensity for sin, we also come to terms with our need to be humble and show gratitude for the unending mercy of God.
Our gratitude to God for always tempering justice with mercy should also serve as guide to us in our own journey of faith and our relationship with one another. Today, we are being reminded that our receiving forgiveness from God is contingent upon our willingness to wholeheartedly extend forgiveness to others. The wicked servant was given over to the torturers till he paid all his debt because he refused to forgive a fellow servant. Let us be mindful that when we offer forgiveness to others, we also receive something in return; liberation from the shackles of bitterness and resentment.
Our hearts are transformed, and our minds are lightened, and indeed, our relationship with God is enhanced as we prove ourselves to be like God our Father who allows His sun to shine on good and bad people alike. May we always be faithful dispensers of mercy to those who sin against us, through Christ our Lord. I bless you today in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
• Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos.
