In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
Notice, dear brothers and sisters, the great gulf in difference between our sins towards God and each other. To one another, the Lord ascribes a hundred denarii—still a large sum, about three months wages for a common labourer—whereas before the Lord ten thousand talents: one talent being about six thousand denarii. “Do you see,” says St John Chrysostom,
how great a difference there is between sins against humanity and sins against God? As much a difference as between ten thousand talents and a hundred denarii; no, much greater in fact. This comes about from the difference of the persons and from the frequency of the sins. For when someone is watching, we hold off and do not dare to sin. But God is watching all the time, and yet we are not afraid; in fact, we even say and do everything quite brazenly.
St John Chrysostom, Homily LXI, ‘On Matthew.’
For what insult do we offer our Lord—Who created us from nothing and set us in the Garden, Who gave us the gift of repentance when we had fallen, Who remained faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him, Who gave His only-begotten Son that we might have Life, Who has offered us the gift of regeneration from on High through baptism—for, indeed, what insult do we offer our Lord when we sin. And when our friends, our family, are present we refrain from sin for the sake of having a good appearance lest gossip break out against us, but when we think we are alone, though God sees, we fall down easily into gluttony, debauchery and licentiousness. Before others I present myself as an upright and righteous person, before God I am hideous, disgusting and full of sin.
And I fall down on my knees and beg God, “Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” I do not know how I will pay back for all my offences before Him but I fear the condemnation facing me. And the Lord forgives me. The Cross is the eternal symbol of the forgiveness of God towards us, that we can be released from captivity, that forgiveness is given freely: I am forgiven. But I am not forgiven that I may enter into new debt, I am forgiven that forgiveness replace retribution in my life, that I learn to serve rather than be served, that as Christ has offered His life that others might live so too must I offer my life.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Matthew 6:12
Having received forgiveness from God, if I fail to forgive others what good has it done me? The Lord will rightly say to me,
You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?
Yet it is no easy thing to forgive. We might easily forgive someone who accidently knocks us in the street but some have really hurt us, really sinned against us, really caused us suffering, trauma and pain. What should we do if we cannot forgive? We must pray, “Lord, I have not the strength to forgive: help me.” And slowly, little by little, in a process that might last a few days or an entire lifetime, the Lord will grant to us the strength to forgive.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord has forgiven you an unrepayable amount, let us release others from the debt we hold, forgiving them as much as we hope God has forgiven us, that we may be able to stand as true Christians, heirs of the Kingdom and inheritors of eternal Life.
That we may offer true glory, honour and worship to our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who has forgiven us that we might pass on the forgiveness, together with His unoriginate Father and the All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit. Amen.
Brethren, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
— First Corinthians 9:2–12
The Lord said this parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the torturers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
— Matthew 18:23–35