From: Matthew 18:21-19:1
Forgiveness of Injuries. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
[21] Then Peter came up and said to Him (Jesus), “Lord, how often shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” [22] Jesus
said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
[23] “Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who wished
to settle accounts with his servants. [24] When he began the reckoning, one was
brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; [25] and as he could not pay,
his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and
payment to be made. [26] So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord,
have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ [27] And out of pity for him
the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
[28] But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants
who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what
you owe.’ [29] So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience
with me, and I will pay you.’ [30] He refused and went and put him in prison till he
should pay his debt. [31] When his fellow servants saw what had taken place,
they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had
taken place. [32] Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked ser-
vant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; [33] and should not
you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ [34] And in
anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. [35] So
also My Heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your
brother from your heart.”
[19:1] Now when Jesus finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and
entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan[.]
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Commentary:
21-35. Peter’s question and particularly Jesus’ reply prescribe the spirit of under-
standing and mercy which should govern Christians’ behavior.
In Hebrew the figure of seventy times seven means the same as “always” (cf. Ge-
nesis 4:24): “Therefore, our Lord did not limit forgiveness to a fixed number, but
declared that it must be continuous and forever” (Chrysostom, “Hom. on St Mat-
thew”, 6). Here also we can see the contrast between man’s ungenerous, calcu-
lating approach to forgiveness, and God’s infinite mercy. The parable also clear-
ly shows that we are totally in God’s debt. A talent was the equivalent of six thou-
sand denarii, and a denarius a working man’s daily wage. Ten thousand talents,
an enormous sum, gives us an idea of the immense value attaching to the pardon
we receive from God. Overall, the parable teaches that we must always forgive
our brothers, and must do so wholeheartedly.
“Force yourself, if necessary, always to forgive those who offend you, from the
very first moment. For the greatest injury or offense that you can suffer from them
is nothing compared to what God has pardoned you” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”,
452).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
| First reading |
| Joshua 3:7-11,13-17 © |
The Lord said to Joshua, ‘This very day I will begin to make you a great man in the eyes of all Israel, to let them be sure that I am going to be with you even as I was with Moses. As for you, give this order to the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: “When you have reached the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you are to stand still in the Jordan itself”.’ Then Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘Come closer and hear the words of the Lord your God.’ Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that a living God is with you and without a doubt will expel the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite and the Jebusite. Look, the ark of the Lord,’ the Lord of the whole earth, is about to cross the Jordan at your head. As soon as the priests with the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, have set their feet in the waters of the Jordan, the upper waters of the Jordan flowing down will be stopped in their course and stand still in one mass.’
Accordingly, when the people struck camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant in front of the people. As soon as the bearers of the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests who carried it touched the waters (the Jordan overflows the whole length of its banks throughout the harvest season) the upper waters stood still and made one heap over a wide space – from Adam to the fortress of Zarethan – while those flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah, that is, the Salt Sea, stopped running altogether. The people crossed opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood still on dry ground in mid-Jordan, and all Israel continued to cross dry-shod till the whole nation had finished its crossing of the river.
| Responsorial Psalm |
| Psalm 113A(114):1-6 © |
Alleluia!
When Israel came forth from Egypt,
Jacob’s sons from an alien people,
Judah became the Lord’s temple,
Israel became his kingdom.
Alleluia!
The sea fled at the sight:
the Jordan turned back on its course,
the mountains leapt like rams
and the hills like yearling sheep.
Alleluia!
Why was it, sea, that you fled,
that you turned back, Jordan, on your course?
Mountains, that you leapt like rams,
hills, like yearling sheep?
Alleluia!
| Gospel Acclamation |
Ps118:88 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Because of your love give me life,
and I will do your will.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your decrees.
Alleluia!
| Gospel |
| Matthew 18:21-19:1 © |
Peter went up to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.
‘And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time” he said “and I will pay the whole sum.” And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me” he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “Give me time and I will pay you.” But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’
Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and he left Galilee and came into the part of Judaea which is on the far side of the Jordan.