JESUS SAID, “I SAY NOT UNTO THEE, UNTIL SEVEN TIMES: BUT, UNTIL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN…” Matthew 18:22.

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My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’
Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, Up to seven times, but
UP TO SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN" [Matthew 18:21-22].

According to our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ forgiveness has no limitation but is infinite. In the Old Testament tradition and according to it one could forgive only three times. However, the holy Apostle Peter, desiring to exceed the righteousness of the Old Testament, increased this number to seven. Jesus Who taught the need to make one’s heart and illumined by all-forgive love, answers, that one MUST FORGIVE UNTIL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN, THAT IS INFINITE TIMES. Wishing to make this clear to the holy Apostle Peter and His other disciples he offered the example of the unmerciful debtor in the following Parable. Also, it is a lesson that we should always be compassionate and loving.

Saint Theophylact says that "the gist of the Parable teaches us to forgive our fellow servants who have sinned against us, especially if they fall down before us begging forgiveness. The kingdom is the Logos/Word of God, but it is not a kingdom of small extent, but of the Heavens. The Logos/Word is likened to a man who was a king, that is, He Who became incarnate for our sake and appeared in the likeness of men, and He settles accounts with His servants as a Good Judge. He does not punish without first judging: that would be cruel.

It is we ourselves who owe ten thousand talents, receiving blessings every day yet giving back nothing good to God in return. He who owes ten thousand talents is also that ruler who has received from God the protection and allegiance of many men, each man being like a talent, and then does not employ his sovereignty well. Selling the debtor along with his wife and children indicates ALIENATION FROM GOD, for the one who is sold goes to another master. And is the wife not the flesh, being the mate of the soul, and the children, the evil deeds by the soul and the body? He commands the flesh to be given to Satan for ravaging, that is, to be given over to illnesses or to the torment of the demons, but the children to say, the doing of evil deeds, are given over to torture on the rack, as, for example, when God withers the hand that has stolen."

"The servant therefore fell down prostrate before him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and released him, and forgave him the debt. (vs 26-27) See the power OF REPENTANCE and the Lord’s LOVE FOR MANKIND… In His love for man God FORGAVE THE DEBT ENTIRELY although the servant was not asking for complete forgiveness of the debt, but for an extension of time in which to repay it. Learn, therefore, that God gives more than we ask for. His love for man is such that even what seems to be severe, the command that the servant be sold, God did not speak out of severity, but to terrify the servant in order to induce him to fix all his ope on entreaty and supplication.

The servant who was forgiven a great debt however, did not show the same compassion to a fellow servant who owed him a much lesser debt. So great was the servant’s INHUMANITY THAT, although he had been forgiven the smallest amount. "The fellow servants are the Angels, who are shown here to be haters of evil and lovers of good. They do not tell these things to the Lord as if He were unaware of them, but in order for us to learn that the Angels WATCH OVER US AND ARE ANGERED BY MAN’S INHUMANITY.

The master in his love for mankind takes issue with the servant, to show that it is not the master, but the savagery and the ingratitude of the servant that has revoked the gift. To what tormentors does he deliver him? To the punitive powers for eternal punishment. For the meaning of "till he should pay all his debt" is this: "let him be punished till that he should pay all that was due." But he will never be able to pay his debt, and therefore his punishment will never end.

"So, My heavenly Father also WILL DO TO YOU IF EACH OF YOU, FROM HIS HEART, DOES NOT FORGIVE HIS BROTHER HIS DEBT" [Matthew 18:35).  Because God forgives us, WE IN TURN ARE OBLIGED TO GRANT THIS GIFT OF FORGIVENESS TO OTHERS.  When each Christian forgives "FROM THE HEART", a true reconciliation and  healing come to the Church by God's grace.  "Understand the," says Saint Theophylact, what A GREAT EVIL IS REMEMBRANCE OF WRONGS, since it revokes the gift of God; though God does not repent of His gifts, NEVERTHELESS THEY ARE REVOKED."


   The reality is that we all petition and receive from Our Almighty God and Creator mercies, forgiveness, understanding, compassion, and His heavenly gifts, but when our brothers and sisters turn to us asking for forgiveness, kindness, love, compassion, and/or material or moral assistance we become rigid and unwilling to respond and help them.  We become self-righteous and judgmental and we set conditions before we act.  Much of the time our attitude is harsh, unyielding, and arrogant.   Our Savior and Lord says clearly, "For with what judgment you judge, YOU WILL BE JUDGED; and with the measure your use, IT WILL BE MEASURED BACK TO YOU" [Matthew 7:2]. We will be judged with our own "judgment" because we, the judges, are doing the very same thing that we condemn in others. We ourselves have failed to unceasingly remember our own sins and lay them aside. Condemnation of others and forgiveness do not mix [see Luke 6:27-38]. It is the EVIL ONE, the Slanderer of all, who urges us to pass judgment on others. To pass judgment on another IS TO USURP A PREROGATIVE OF GOD, Who knows all things and alone is able to judge [James 4:12]. We ought to know our own sins better than those of others. The "hypocrite" sees the errors of others, ignoring his own, because he loves himself above all else. Again, the Lord Jesus Christ says, "And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but DO NOT CONSIDER THE PLANK IN YOUR OWN EYE?" [Matthew 7:3].

Let us be merciful, forgiving and compassionate with our brethren. WE must forgive others from ‘the heart.’ otherwise we will continue to remember their offences and always blame them. There will NEVER BE A RECONCILIATION! The burden, however, will be on our heart and soul and it will damage our salvation. Before we participate in the Divine Liturgy and prepare to receive Holy Communion, it is imperative that we must first reconcile with our enemies. There can be no malice in our hearts and therefore if anyone feels hatred for someone he/she must first participate in the Mysterion (Sacrament) of Repentance and Confession and free his/her heart from that wicked passion through repentance. It is only then that we may obtain remission of our sins.

_______
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

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