Beggars Can’t Be Choosers | March 6, 2018

I was in the check out line at the Dollar Tree yesterday and behind me were a father and son (the son was probably around 8 years old).  The boy was trying with all his might to coax his dad into buying him one of the many last-minute completely useless, but seductively enticing items found in the Dollar Tree’s check out line. He started with the off brand candy bars and moved through novelty pencils, mini flashlights, hand sanitizer, etc. He was working it and had very specific reasons as to why he should have each item. The kid was compelling I have to say. I was amused because the dad was not swayed in the least to buy marshmallow Easter bunnies on a stick. The last item the kid tried to swindle was a multi pack of TicTac’s (I mean what kid actually wants TicTac’s??). At this point, he was begging his dad, pleading with him to buy him something, anything. “Please, dad. Can I have it? It’s only $1! Please, please, please.” To see someone actively begging for something that they totally do not need was pretty sad, because I have also been witness to people on the street that beg for basic things like water, eye contact, bus fair, etc. This idea of begging and pleading with the father sets the scene in today’s gospel.

Peter is having a heart to heart with Jesus and I imagine one of his brothers or the gang had done something against him. He was seeking some counsel and I’m sure hoping that Jesus would say that he only really had to forgive is brother once or twice before cutting them loose and/or wringing their neck. Of course Jesus uses the moment to teach us all a very powerful and difficult lesson on forgiveness. The answer then for Peter, and now for all of us is, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” (Don’t forget that the number 7 means perfection and perfection in the case of forgiving others means every single time and immediately.) The parable is about a king whose debtor owed him a ton of money and so the king initially sold him, his entire family, and all his possessions to pay back this huge 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.”

That forgiven debtor went out and found one of his co-workers who owed him a way lessor debt and then he started to physically choke him demanding that he pay it back in full! Are you kidding me? That debtor fell on his knees and begged him, “'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.” Of course when the king found out about it, he was livid. He said, '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." So there it is, friends. There are some strong words in that story: wicked, torture, anger, etc. Raise your hand if you have ever begged someone to forgive you for something. Raise your hand if they denied you that forgiveness. It sucks doesn’t it? I have actually grown pretty tired of this topic because I don’t see that we are getting any better at forgiveness especially when I turn on the news for more that 4 minutes, however, this theme keeps coming up and so I guess I will talk about it until I’m blue in the face. We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us.” That is a direct quote from Jesus on how we should pray everyday and what we should practice everyday. Today’s gospel backs that up in full force. We spend a lot of time begging God for useless frivol things, and not enough time begging Him for the absolutely necessary grace to forgive as He forgives.

Jesus promises us zero debt in this story when we beg the father to forgive us, however, if we do not have the same extravagant immediate mercy on those that beg us for forgiveness, we choose to live in torment until the entirety of our debt is paid. This begging is the difference between the kid at Dollar Tree asking for random useless items and the woman on the street needing money to feed her child. When we beg the father to have mercy on us, we do not have the luxury of choosing whether or not to give that same mercy to others. Beggars can’t be choosers.

Reading 1 DN 3:25, 34-43

Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud:

“For your name’s sake, O Lord, do not deliver us up forever,
or make void your covenant.
Do not take away your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,
Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,
To whom you promised to multiply their offspring
like the stars of heaven,
or the sand on the shore of the sea.
For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,
brought low everywhere in the world this day
because of our sins.
We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,
no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.
But with contrite heart and humble spirit
let us be received;
As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks,
or thousands of fat lambs,
So let our sacrifice be in your presence today
as we follow you unreservedly;
for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you.
Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Deliver us by your wonders,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9

R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Verse Before The Gospel JL 2:12-13

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart;
for I am gracious and merciful.

Gospel MT 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
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 him 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."