Year A
Sirach 27:30-28:7;
Psalm 103; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35
Wrath and anger are
hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight.
Sirach 27:30
This week we had our annual remembrance of the tragic events
of 9/11. If you were old enough at the
time to understand what was happening on that day then you, like me, probably
re-live it to some degree or another every time the anniversary comes
around. I find that I have two primary reactions:
grief and anger.
I am grieved because men could be so full of hate and so
blinded by deception as to think that God was actually the author of their
plans. I grieve further for the many
lives that were lost that day.
But then there’s the anger.
The terrorists apparently had the goal of bringing death, destruction,
and grief to our nation. But they had
nothing to personally gain. They would
not become rich, they would not conquer the United States, they would not gain
power, or even prestige in the eyes of the global community.
We are constantly told not to judge, but one can’t help but
wonder what the Particular Judgment was like for those men. We can’t know their eternal destiny, but from
all appearances we would expect that they died outside the state of grace. It’s here that I have a confession to
make. The anger over their actions leads
me to believe that they deserved hell, and furthermore, I’m glad if they got
it.
That’s a horrific confession. How can I, who believe God has called me to
preach salvation for the souls of others take delight in the death of the
wicked? If God doesn’t, how can I? It is here that I hear the Lord speaking to
me.
Sirach says that wrath and anger are hateful things. This is the Lectionary rendering. If you look it up in your Bible it’s even
stronger. It says they are
abominations.
In today’s Gospel our Lord gives us a very graphic picture
about the priority of forgiveness. He
tells a parable about a man who owed a ruler more than he could ever pay back
in his life. So the ruler was merciful
and forgave the man his entire debt. But
then the man found someone who owed him a small amount of money. He demanded payment in full and when the
other man couldn’t pay, he was thrown into prison along with his family.
Now here’s the twist.
The townspeople, seeing what had happened, and recognizing the injustice
of it, went and told the ruler. The man
was instantly summoned to the ruler to give an account. “You wicked servant!” he said. “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?”
Now watch carefully what happens. The entire debt of the first man was
reinstated and he was thrown into prison.
He would never be able to pay the debt.
He would die in prison. And
listen to our Lord’s conclusion: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless
each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
Here’s what He’s saying.
If we don’t forgive others then God won’t forgive us. The debt we owe to God is immense and it
makes any debt someone else owes us miniscule by comparison. While our sins may have been washed away in
Baptism and forgiven in the Eucharist or Reconciliation, our entire debt is
reinstated if we refuse to offer forgiveness to others.
Now at this point it’s worth talking about exactly what
forgiveness is and isn’t. Let’s start
with the latter.
Forgiveness is not somehow saying that was done to us is
ok. It’s not ok. It isn’t somehow to justify the
perpetrator. That is, unfortunately, how
our society looks at it now. “Oh, well
they probably had an abusive childhood so they don’t know any better.” Or, “They were suffering from depression, or
some other mental illness.” The list
goes on. It doesn’t take the sting out
of the wrong done. Sure, there are times
when there are mitigating factors. But
more often than not, it’s simply because we are sinners at heart and when we
allow the sin nature to get the upper hand we will inevitably do something that
hurts others.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean all is well and we should just go
on with life. It means a true injustice
has been done and that’s why there’s something to forgive. To forgive doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look for
justice, or that we shouldn’t take measures to ensure safety. If someone is in an abusive relationship the
first thing they need to do is get away.
If that leads to divorce, or separation from parents then it does. But in the midst of it all Christ still calls
us to forgive and there’s a particular reason why. It’s because His grace gives us the ability to
forgive. When we forgive we demonstrate
His love to the world.
Let me come back to the 9/11 attackers. I need to forgive them in my heart. They’re dead and neither my wrath, nor my
forgiveness will benefit them. Their
fates are sealed and they are in the hands of God. But if I allow the anger and bitterness of
that day to seize control of my heart then I forfeit all the grace God offers
and I become a debtor again.
This doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge the heinousness of
their crimes. It doesn’t in any way
justify their actions. And were we to
find others who were complicit with them it would not keep me from insisting
that justice be carried out and those people answer for their crimes. It just means that I offer mercy instead of
judgment. Judgment I leave to the Lord.
We all have similar issues in our lives. In this fallen world it’s virtually
impossible to make it through without having something calling for forgiveness. Please don’t make the mistake of hardening
your heart and thinking that somehow this is getting back at the
perpetrator. It’s not. It’s just cutting you off from God’s grace.
One final note: forgiveness does not mean that we need to
feel anything. When someone has hurt us
it will take some time- possibly a lifetime- until we can work through the
emotion. But in our will we have the
capacity to choose to forgive. And the
more we make that choice the more forgiveness takes hold of our heart instead
of bitterness.
Years ago I was angry about another matter in which I
wondered where justice was. The Lord
spoke quietly, but firmly to my heart: “Justice is in the same place it was for
you- at the cross! There I bore all the
sins of humankind.” I was humbled. The same holds true for this
circumstance. I am not God. I have no right to call for justice when I am
in such need of forgiveness myself.
Listen to Sirach again.
“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight.” Don’t hug wrath and bitterness. They are no friends. They will destroy your soul in the end. Instead, allow the Spirit of Christ to take
hold; the One who prayed, “Father, forgive them.”
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