This Sunday’s Gospel reveals God’s immense mercy, even to those that decide to change at the very last minute. There is hope for all until death. This is what those who have always been with God must understand and refrain from being judgemental toward converted brethren and bitter about God’s decisions of favor.
The sin that Jesus addresses in this passage is the sin of unforgiveness. It clearly depicts the wrath of God that will be inflicted upon those who refuse to forgive others. The “wicked servant” to whom this is addressed was a man who was forgiven a “huge amount” by God. This is all of us.
Just as God is willing to forgive us any and all wrongdoings we are culpable for, we too must extend the same mercy to our brethren if we are to reflect the glory of God.
The number one enemy of reconciliation is pride. Pride is a habit by which we think about ourselves first and foremost, or even exclusively in the most serious cases. Pride makes self-evaluation impossible.
Jesus advises us on how we must impart brotherly correction to save someone from losing their soul. Only when all means are exhausted, must the most stringent punishment be meted out. Even in that, Christians must check their own motivations in correcting someone else.
Fear can paralyze us. But fear, in this case, is a response that is based on an error. We embrace that error when we act out of selfishness. Each of us will die. That’s a fact. The question is how we die. We can either die selfishly, seeing our earthly life as the center of all. Or we can die in a self-giving way with our Lord by uniting ourselves to His act of sacrificial love.
Becoming a follower of Christ is difficult. He demands our everything and even our suffering. But it is the only way we can make our way to the heavenly kingdom – by making sacrifices, bearing our burdens with patience and walking with Christ to Calvary.
Faith does not entail fearlessness. It is proceeding on a journey set by God despite all our fears as we combat them, relying completely and absolutely upon Him, our Lord and Savior, to guide us, hold us and even cradle us in the safety and warmth of His love, until the end of our sojourn.
To mature spiritually, every Christian must weather the storms of life, seeking refuge and entrusting all to God. It is only faith like that of a child, humble and total, that will allow us to pass the tests that must refine us and prepare us for heaven.
The feast of the Transfiguration is an invitation to keep our own ambitions and desires aside to allow God’s will to manifest fully in us. This will transform us into true Christ followers, reflecting His love and glory, even within our limited human capacity.