Closing the Ledger

Today’s readings. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of a servant who is forgiven an impossibly large debt by his master, only to walk outside and immediately seize a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller one. What makes this story disturbing is that this cruel servant had just received mercy himself. The problem we noticed right away is that the mercy he received never moved inward to transform his heart. 

Jesus is here teaching us that it is entirely possible to ask God for mercy, receive it, and yet remain fundamentally merciless toward others. Our Lord even exaggerates the economics to make the point: the first servant’s debt is absurdly unpayable, while the second man’s debt is real but comparatively small. In other words, the second servant did owe something—the wounds or wrongs are not imaginary. The question is whether someone who has been spared the impossible debt will still insist on strict accounting with everyone else. This is where Christ’s love confronts us, because many of us are comfortable asking for mercy from God while holding a tight grip on the smaller offenses others “owe” us.

Today’s Practice – Fasting:

Fast today from retelling an offense. Don’t revisit, re-explain, or relive a grievance in conversation, text, or in your own mind. Where you would normally keep the wound alive. Choose, instead, silence and ask God for a merciful heart.