“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 his brother from his heart.” (Matthew 18:34-35)
Jesus’ parable is vivid, gripping and aptly describes the stakes for not forgiving our brother from the heart. Debt, at least in the modern American banking system, is not simply “I owe you”. It’s “I owe you more than I took from you.” The first servant in the story owes more than he can pay. Our sin has a similar effect. In a way, our sin collects interest beyond what we can repay. Jesus, in His mercy, strikes the balance.
God, Who is Charity itself, does not simply help us to break even. We profit from his forgiveness. God is gift. The grace we inherit is related inversely to our meriting. Saint Faustina is often attributed with teaching that “the greater the sinner, the greater the right to God’s mercy.” Amen!
And the only way to keep what you have is to give it away. God’s forgiveness shan’t be protected like a hoard of gold. It is more like a seed that needs to spread, grow and multiply lest it dies. So give what you’ve been given. Is there a greater joy than to participate in the divine life? I have yet to find it.
“Y el señor, encolerizado, lo entregó a los verdugos para que no lo soltaran hasta que pagara lo que debía. Pues lo mismo hará mi Padre celestial con ustedes si cada cual no perdona de corazón a su hermano’’ (Mateo 18,34-35).
La parábola de Jesús es vívida, conmovedora y describe con acierto lo que está en juego si no perdonamos a nuestro hermano de todo corazón. La deuda —al menos en el moderno sistema bancario estadounidense— no es simplemente un “te debo”. Es un “te debo más de lo que tomé de ti”. El primer siervo de la historia debe más de lo que puede pagar. Nuestro pecado tiene un efecto similar. En cierto modo, nuestro pecado acumula intereses que superan nuestra capacidad de pago. Jesús, en su misericordia, equilibra la balanza.
Dios, que es la Caridad misma, no se limita a ayudarnos a cubrir las pérdidas. Nosotros obtenemos un beneficio de su perdón. Dios es don. La gracia que heredamos guarda una relación inversa con nuestros méritos. A Santa Faustina se le atribuye a menudo la enseñanza de que “cuanto mayor es el pecador, mayor es su derecho a la misericordia de Dios”. ¡Amén!
Y la única manera de conservar lo que tienes es entregarlo. El perdón de Dios no debe ser celosamente guardado como un tesoro de oro; se asemeja más bien a una semilla que necesita esparcirse, crecer y multiplicarse para no morir. Así pues, da lo que has recibido. ¿Existe acaso una alegría mayor que participar de la vida divina? Yo, al menos, aún no la he encontrado.
Matthew is a student at the Catholic Psych Institute to one day provide Mentorship – a daily service that integrates and aligns the best of the Psychological sciences with Catholic Anthropology and Spirituality. To learn more about Mentorship or read more from Matthew, join his newsletter (coming soon).
Feature Image Credit: Kelly Sikkema, unsplash.com/photos/person-reaching-black-heart-cutout-paper-XX2WTbLr3r8
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