Forgiveness is not something which should be taken lightly. When we pray the Our Father, we say, "forgive us our tresspasses, as we forgive those who tresspass against us." But do we realise the implications of receiving forgiveness? Do we understand what is forgiveness?
In today's Gospel, a master had a servant who owed him quite a lot of money. The master wanted to sell the servant, together with the servant's wife and children and all the servant's possessions, to meet the debt. The servant begged for more time to pay off his debt, and the master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. But did the servant appreciate the master's forgiveness? No. He thought he had been given a lucky break or lucky escape. This is shown by the way he treated another servant who owed him money. As a result, the servant was punished by the master for being unforgiving and ungrateful. The Gospel cautions us: "And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart." When we are forgiven for the wrong we have done, are we not bound to forgive others who have wronged us? Have we become so proud, conceited, or thick-skinned in expecting forgiveness, but so easily condemn others for even the slightest wrong?
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