September 17, 2023
Matthew 18: 21 – 35
Forgiveness as a measure of love.
The evangelist Matthew today helps us get in tune with the kind heart of God. He reminds us that to forgive we need to go beyond the limit of what we consider ideal “7 times” and to do so we need to go beyond ourselves with the constant help of God and the people who live around us. We need to get rid of our old clothes daily, as a habit that generates well-being and harmony. But this task is not easy, which is why Jesus says that we need to forgive seventy times seven.
Jesus reaffirms that God is merciful and asks us to live and act in the same way, but what prevents us from acting with mercy and remaining closed to forgiveness? It may be that we often think that the offense received or the debt not paid is greater than our own debts.
I can’t help but think about how the man must have felt whose forgiveness was taken away from him and that his entire family was affected by his attitude. His lack of compassion did not allow him to stay or enjoy the Forgiveness that he had already received. I wonder if he would feel regret in his heart after that.
I believe that when our hearts are cut off, darkened, thirsty, imprisoned or uncentered we are not able to recognize the GREAT MERCY that the people around us offer us in order to act in the same way. We have forgotten that by forgiving we give ourselves salvation and liberation and that in this way we are ready to also receive God’s forgiveness.
El perdón como medida del amor.
El evangelista Mateo hoy nos ayuda a entrar en sintonía con el corazón bondadoso de Dios. Nos recuerda que para perdonar necesitamos pasar el límite de lo que consideramos lo ideal “7 veces” y para ello necesitamos sobrepasarnos a nosotros mismos con la ayuda constante de Dios y de las personas que viven alrededor nuestro. Necesitamos despojarnos de nuestras viejas vestiduras diariamente, como un hábito que nos genera bienestar y armonía. Pero esta tarea no es sencilla, de ahí que Jesús diga que necesitamos perdonar setenta veces siete.
Jesús reafirma que Dios es misericordioso y nos pide vivir y actuar de la misma manera, pero ¿qué nos impide actuar con misericordia y quedarnos cerrados frente al perdón? Será que con frecuencia pensamos que la ofensa recibida o la deuda no pagada es más grande que nuestras propias deudas.
No puedo evitar pensar en cómo se habrá sentido el hombre cuyo perdón le fue quitado y que con su actitud toda su familia salió afectada. Su actuar con falta de compasión no le permitió quedarse ni gozar del Perdón que ya había recibido. Me pregunto si después de eso llegaría a sentir arrepentimiento en su corazón.
Creo que cuando nuestro corazón está segado, ensombrecido, sediento, encarcelado o descentrado no somos capaces de reconocer la GRAN MISERICORDIA que nos ofrecen las personas a nuestro alrededor para poder actuar de la misma manera. Nos hemos olvidado de que al perdonar nos regalamos salvación y liberación nosotros mismos y que de esa manera estamos listos para recibir también el perdón de Dios.
Matthew 18: 21 – 35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
Meet Sister Juana Jaqueline
