Homily for Tuesday 26th March 2019
_“You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” *(Matthew 18:32-33)*_
From the time of Cain and Abel to this day, people have always been wicked to each other. If given the chance, we would destroy all life on earth just to fight others. A servant who owed his master a lot of money was forgiven of his debt but he could not forgive his fellow servant who owed him much less. This parable of Jesus is indeed an everyday reality in our world.
Last Saturday, I went with some youths in my parish to fix the Church’s signboard by the Main Road. As soon as we left the scene, a man who was operating a car wash beside the road pulled out the signboard and removed it completely. Upon interrogation, he claimed that it was the owners of the land who asked him to do so.
By the time I got talking with the owners, I discovered this man was never authorized by them to touch any signboard. Someone had been so gracious to allow this man use a piece of land and also provide water completely free of charge for his business but he could not afford to be gracious enough to allow a piece of Signboard stand by the road which did not even interfere with his car-wash business. Why are we humans like this?
If God could be so gracious to forgive me whenever I cry for mercy, how come I cannot extend a hand of mercy to my fellow brothers and sisters when they ask? The servant in today’s Gospel passage threw his fellow servant into prison forgetting that just as his fellow servant lacked the capacity to pay back 100 denarii, he too also lacked the capacity to pay back the huge sum which he owed his master.
Why are we wicked to others who are not as powerful as we are yet every day, we go down on our knees to pray to the All-Powerful God? Why do we often forget the log in our eye and start chasing after the speck in other people’s eyes? How come we readily hunt people down for the wrongs they did to us not minding that we ourselves have done greater wrongs to God?
The next time you feel tempted to deal with someone, think about your life and how much God could have dealt with you for your wrongdoings and sins. Cool down, forgive someone today. Offer that pain or that hurt in atonement for your own offences to God. Let not anger drive you to do something to your neighbour that God himself would not do to you.
See how the story ends. The Master of the Servant upon hearing what he did to his fellow servant ordered that he delivered to the jailers till he should pay his debt. By the time I spoke with the owners of the land, they started considering the option of asking the man to leave that place and operate his business elsewhere. I had to now plead on his behalf after they told me to go ahead and replace the signboard. Being wicked, uncaring and unsympathetic to others may seem like the normal thing to do but the simple truth is that it always backfires.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, help me conquer my pride and learn to forgive others. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the 3rd week of Lent. Bible Study: Daniel 3:34-43, Psalm 25 and Matthew 18:21-35).
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