After Pentecost (Proper 19 ) | Year A | Matthew 18:21-25 | TJ Torgerson
Picture this scenario: you pay your cable bill a couple of days late, and you're hit with a frustratin
g $35 late fee. As you grumble about it, you make the dreaded call to the cable company to sort it out. After what feels like an eternity on hold, you finally reach William, a customer service rep making minimum wage. Miraculously, William agrees to waive the fee, and you hang up, feeling that justice has been served. You're convinced that what William did was fair and right. Now, fast forward to the next month when your cable service goes on the fritz, and you call William again, demanding an immediate fix and a refund. This time, however, Billy informs you that, according to the terms and conditions you agreed to, no refund is possible. After berating poor Billy for a few minutes, you hang up, feeling wronged and resentful. You can't help but think, "This just isn't right!"
This week's Gospel reading is known as the Parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35). This parable is about a man who owed an insurmountable debt. The man was having difficulty paying the debt and begged the creditor for an extension. Instead of extending the loan, the lender astonishingly forgave the debt in full. If it were me, I would have been over the moon with excitement, endlessly thanking my lender. That's how I'd expect the man to react. However, there is a noticeable absence of gratitude in the story. Perhaps it's possible that when the man walked away from his debtor, he perceived this incredible act of kindness as a fair and just act – much like the late fee being waived, this was something he deserved.
In our own lives, we often fail to recognize when others inconvenience themselves for our benefit. Friends help us move, putting extra wear and tear on their truck, sacrificing time with their family, and giving up their precious day off. I deserve this help I'm such a good guy!
Think about the stranger who lets you merge in traffic – it might be a slight inconvenience for them, but in that moment, it alleviates all the stress and anxiety caused by road construction and strange traffic patterns.
These moments of grace can be casually shrugged off and considered just, fair, and simply what we deserve. We can forget the cost borne by others for our sake and take these moments for granted. The man in Jesus' story seemed to have this attitude. Perhaps in his mind, he believed he was receiving fairness. We can assume that because there was no expression of gratitude for the forgiveness he received. Instead what did he do? He went out and demanded fairness,. He found someone that owed him money and demanded to get what he was owed. He no longer gave any thought to the sacrifice his creditor made for his benefit. The man only focused on what he considered right and fair. When grace costs others, we accept it freely, but when it costs us, we clamor for fairness.
Extending grace when we're the ones inconvenienced can be challenging. When driving in traffic, we resist letting someone merge in front of us because it might delay us – after all, we were there first, we obeyed the signs, and we prepared ahead of time. It doesn't feel fair to let them in front of us. When a friend asks for help moving, it can seem unfair, especially if it's your day off and you've been working all week, with plans to spend time with your family. It's easy to abandon grace and kindness in favor of what we perceive as justice when we're the ones paying the price.
In the end, the man in the story demanded fairness, and that's precisely what he received. When we receive grace, from other recognize the gift. We are not merely receiving what is fair or deserved. Also when situations call for us to extend true grace. the kind of grace that inconveniences or costs us think in terms of kindness not fairness. Strive to extend grace with the same generosity we hope to receive. Strive to extend grace with the same generosity we have already received from God. In doing so, we contribute to a world where grace and kindness flourishes, where fairness takes a backseat to compassion and understanding. And remember, be careful when you demand fairness or justice, because that might be what you receive.
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