Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 2; the Fore-feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ; Commemoration of the Consecration of the Holy Resurrection Patriarchal Sobor; Holy Martyr Eusignius (360-63)
Dormition Fast
Read
1 Corinthians 9:2-12; Matthew 18:23-35
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
One of the things that makes hearing the Gospel message difficult is that we have already heard it and so we get used to it and a little numb to the scandal it would have caused to Jesus’ original hearers. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers which are used to tell the story. A talent was equivalent to about 6000 denarii, or about 20 years wages for a labourer. Jesus’ reference to 10 000 talents is the highest number used in ancient calculations and the highest monetary unit- it’s about 150 000 years worth of wages! When the slave pleads with his Master and states that he will repay his entire debt if only his Master will be patient we need to see how absolutely impossible this is. And yet, this is how forgiving the Master is, he forgives him this entire debt. Imagine how out of pocket he is in order to forgive this man!
Now contrast the Master’s forgiveness with the way his forgiven servant responds to a fellow servant who owes him a paltry 100 denarii, pocket change compared to his impossible debt. Despite having his life handed back to him he is unwilling to forgive such a little thing.
But here is where it gets personal brothers and sisters. We find ourselves in this story as well. We have all been forgiven our debt as well, and the price was the saving passion and death of our Lord. Our freedom has also been paid for, and at a tremendous price. The question for us today is if we hold on to grudges and debts despite the forgiveness we have received, or if we truly behave as people who have been saved and redeemed through the blood of our Saviour- the very Blood we consume at the Liturgy. Let us forgive our brothers and sisters as we have been forgiven before it is time to settle accounts with the Master!