Living Through The Cross "But Who's Counting?" February 26, 2008

Today’s text seems so simple we are tempted to dismiss it.   “Yeah, yeah, I get it.   I’m supposed to forgive.”   But the text is accompanied by a parable, so wonderfully graphic it begs for dramatization.

The parable is hard to dismiss both because of its irony and because of the role I see for myself in the parable.   Each debtor makes the same plea: “have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.”   Have my prayers taken this form: “please be patient with me and I will try to do better.”   There is also the irony that one servant plays two roles — the part of debtor before the king and the part of debt-collector before his fellow-servant.   He doesn’t see a connection between the two roles.   Perhaps if someone pointed out an inconsistency, he would defend himself with the classic, “but the second case is different” perhaps because he’s a “repeat offender” or needs to “learn a lesson” or “take responsibility.”

And there I am as well - the debt-collector who shows no mercy, the forgiven one who will not forgive.

Prayer: All Forgiving Lord, here is a parable that tells us we often play two roles.   We see a dramatization of the Prayer you taught us...“forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”   Amen

Connie Campbell Peters - First Christian, Oklahoma City

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