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Gospel Reading for March 10, 2026 – Matthew 18: 21-35
UNFORGIVENESS
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 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 your brother from your heart.”
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None of us can truly claim that we have never needed forgiveness or that we have never wronged another person at any point in our lives. We are all in need of forgiveness. No one is exempt. Therefore, when others do us wrong, it is only right that we find it in our hearts to forgive them.
When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he gave them the prayer we now call the Our Father recorded in the gospel of Matthew (6: 9–15)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Notice that even after the prayer itself, Jesus emphasized the importance of forgiveness.
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;
but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
How can we truly praise God with our hearts if we harbor grudges within us? How can God’s kingdom dwell among us when there is unforgiveness? And how can we ask our Father to forgive our sins if we ourselves refuse to forgive those who have wronged us?
There is also a practical reason for learning to forgive: it is good for our health. UNFORGIVENESS often leads to emotional distress, physical health problems such as high blood pressure and stress, and broken relationships. When we refuse to forgive and instead allow resentment, anger, and bitterness to take root, we are often the ones who suffer the most—while the person who hurt us may be going on with life as usual. In this way, UNFORGIVENESS becomes a form of self-inflicted pain.
Let us reflect on the message expressed in the hymn, FATHER FORGIVE THEM –
Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do.
Give them your compassion,
they know not what they do.
I gave my life to save them
because I love them so.
This cross that I took for them
I offer back to you.
May these words remind us that forgiveness lies at the very heart of the message of Christ. When we forgive, we mirror the mercy that God continually shows to us.
