Perhaps, it isn't a question at all. 24th Sunday

The six questions of deductive reasoning are; who, what, where, when, why and how?

How often Lord? Peter asks Jesus. How often must I forgive?

Peter is trying to figure it out. He wants a precise answer. A reasonable number.  An absolute measure of effort.

How often must “I” do anything - (like weed the garden or paint the house) is not an unreasonable

question, but in this case, it is the wrong question.

 In the first reading Sirach tells us something about the obstacles to forgiveness.

He says, we often hug tight hateful things, painful things that cause distress and sets us up one

against another.

And we know that these hateful things foster similar hateful things in return (adding hurt upon hurt) creating a destructive spiral that blocks any possibility of forgiveness and healing.

Sirach also says there are consequences to holding onto this wrath and anger, beyond the broken heart and the bruised spirit.

 He asks, can anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?

 Can anyone refuse mercy and expect mercy?

 There is a balance, an equilibrium at play between individuals (do onto others as you would have

them do to you) and between us and God (forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who

trespasses against us). This is the just structure of relationship.

 In the second reading St Paul confirms our relational nature. He says, none of us lives for oneself and no one dies for oneself. We live and die for the Lord.

This sheds light on the illusion of self-importance and self-sufficiency. No person is an island. We are

bound to each other by our common humanity and the relationships we form.

We are bound to the Lord through our baptism and by our shared life with the Holy Spirit.

We live for the Lord by following the Lord, choosing (as he did) humility and kindness (the roots of

forgiveness) over pride and meanness (theses are hateful things).

 When Peter asks how much do I need to forgive?

He is already limiting forgiveness, he is already counting the cost.

Of course, we all count the cost. We measure out goodness as if it were saffron. We ration out humility and kindness, to such a degree that we starve out forgiveness.

 To Peter’s question “how much” Jesus answers with a statement that basically says, whatever you

might think is enough Peter, it's not.

Peter asks is seven times enough and Jesus says seventy times seven is not enough.

 And Jesus uses the parable of the forgiving king and the selfish servant to demonstrate this.

A servant owes the king a great debt, a debt beyond repaying. Yet, the king, moved by compassion, forgives the debt and the debtor. This is an immense and unreasonable act of kindness.

But, the servant, having just experienced great kindness refuses kindness to a fellow servant who

owes him a small debt.

The king finds out about the servant’s heartlessness and has him thrown into prison, saying –

I had pity for you and forgave your debt and should you not pity a fellow servant and forgive his

debt owed you?

This is a good question. If we expect God to place no limit on his perfect mercy and forgiveness for us. Or if we want forgiveness from others for our short comings, we turn, should not limit our imperfect acts of kindness and forgiveness.

 So let get back to the; who, what, when, where, why and how.

 if Peter’s question of “how much”, is the wrong question.

Perhaps the better question is WHY? Why must I forgive?

Well, we hear in the first reading why. Because God does. And the Gospel reading confirms his f

forgiveness for us is never exhausted or spent.

Or WHEN should I forgive? If we listen to Jesus, always! There is no time that forgiveness should not be offered, past or present. It will not always seem reasonable, or possible  and certainly it will not always be easy.

 Is WHERE a better question? If God is God of all creation and his kingdom has no end than the answer must be everywhere; in the home, the family, the workplace and parish, the community and the world.

WHO shall I forgive? If all of creation falls under God’s sovereignty then everyone is a child of God. Everyone; Jew or Samaritan, Canaanite Woman, adulteress, centurion, thief, the enemy, your neighbor, your husband, your wife and even those who do not want to be forgiven. No one is beyond forgiveness.

Let us not forget that sometimes we even need to forgive God!

Finally WHAT, the indefinite pronoun, which stands for something not yet specially identified.

The “What” as in “what shall I forgive” is wonderfully open ended. It is radical as it assumes forgiveness without identifying the object of that forgiveness.

The boundless inclusiveness of “what shall I forgive” overcomes the impossibility to forgive.

Because it does not even think to qualify, or quantify or limited in anyway. It realizes that forgiveness can seem unreasonable or foolish, but it also knows that it is only forgiveness that brings healing.

St Paul told us last Sunday

Bear all things and forgive all grievances. Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another.

So perhaps it’s not really a question after all, but rather a loving command to love!

 Rather than asking any question about forgiveness, simply forgive.

In our humility, forgiveness will come. In our kindness, forgiveness will come.

And in our forgiving, forgiveness will come. In forgiveness, healing will come.

In healing love will come.