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Commentary on Luke 20:27-40

Today we move on to the middle of chapter 20 of Luke’s Gospel. In previous passages which are not included in these readings, Jesus had rebutted a challenge to his authority and left his critics literally speechless (Luke 20:1-8). This was followed by his speaking a parable about tenant farmers (Luke 20:9-19). He was clearly referring to his questioners and identifying them with the wicked tenants who abused all the emissaries (the prophets) sent by the owner of the vineyard—an episode which culminated in the killing of his son. The identity of the tenants and of the Son is clear. This is followed by Jesus’ being confronted with a seemingly innocuous question about paying taxes to Caesar which again resulted in the silence of his critics (Luke 20:20-26).

Today another group, the Sadducees, thought they might do better. The Sadducees, among whom were numbered some of the most powerful Jewish leaders, including high priests, restricted their beliefs to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, reputedly written by Moses and containing the essence of the Jewish Law.

For that reason, unlike the Pharisees, they did not accept some beliefs which occur only in later books of the Old Testament. Among these, for instance, were the existence of angels and the resurrection of the dead.

The Sadducees thought then they could stump Jesus with an unanswerable conundrum. They first quote a prescription from the Law of Moses by which a man was expected to marry the widow of his eldest brother, if there had been no children by the marriage. They then propose an imagined situation of seven brothers. The first brother married, but was childless when he died, so in accordance with the requirements of the Law the second married the widow, then the third and so on. Eventually, all seven brothers married the woman, but there were still no children.

The unanswerable question they proposed was that, if there really was a resurrection after death, which of the seven men would be the woman’s husband in the next life? For them, there was no problem; they did not believe in the resurrection. Death was the end of everything. For one who believed in the resurrection, it was an embarrassing difficulty—or so they thought.

Jesus quickly brushes the problem aside. To begin with, in the next life there are no marriage relationships:

Those who belong to this age [i.e. those who belong to this world] marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.

In the new life, all live face to face with God in a life that never ends. All are equally children of God—brothers and sisters to each other—taking their life and existence from him. That is now the focus of their relationship and it is through that relationship that they are bound together.

Jesus then goes on to challenge the Sadducees’ unbelief about life after death. He shrewdly quotes from a part of the Bible which they recognise as true. He reminds them of the scene where the voice from the burning bush identifies itself to Moses:

I AM the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. (Ex 3:6)

God, says Jesus, is the God of the living and not of the dead (i.e. of those who no longer exist). If Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive, then the Sadducees’ argument fails. Perhaps we would not be convinced by such an argument, but it clearly worked in this case.

Some scribes who were listening in were delighted at the refutation of the Sadducees. Most of them were Pharisees and believed in the resurrection. At the same time, after these replies of Jesus to both the Pharisees and the Sadducees:

…they no longer dared to ask him another question.

We, of course, believe in the resurrection not so much because of Jesus’ arguments here, but because of his own resurrection and his promise to share his life with us forever.

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Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga was born on 22 January, 1901, in Viña del Mar, Chile. With his father’s death in 1905 when Alberto was only 4, the family found itself in financial difficulties, forcing his mother to start selling off land owned by the family. Thanks to a scholarship, Alberto was able to study from 1909-17 at the highly respected Jesuit school of St Ignacio in Santiago. From 1918 to 1923, he attended the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile as a law student and doing his thesis on labour law.

However, rather than becoming a lawyer, Alberto entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1923. He was sent to Barcelona in Spain for his philosophy and theology studies. In 1932, he was banished together with Spanish classmates, and completed his theology studies in Leuven, Belgium from 1932 to 1934. He was ordained priest there on 24 August, 1933. While pursuing his theological studies, he also worked on a doctorate in Psychology and Pedagogy at the Catholic University of Leuven.

From the early days of his studies in labour law and even before becoming a Jesuit, Hurtado was keen on tackling social issues and problems. Before returning to Chile, he visited social and educational centres in Germany, France, Belgium and The Netherlands.

After returning to Chile in 1936, Alberto turned to serving the poor of Chile, concentrating on disadvantaged children, teenagers and young adults. He was a teacher of religion and formed future teachers in the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He was also active in spiritual direction and gave retreats according to the Spiritual Exercises, helping people in the process to discover their vocation in the service of Christ.

In 1940, he was appointed diocesan director of the Catholic Action youth movement and in the following year became its National Director (1941-44). Also in 1941, he produced a book entitled: Is Chile a Catholic Country? Laying open a number of unpleasant realities, the book was heavily criticised by more conservative Catholics, who even accused Hurtado of being a Communist.

Mindful of his own origins and the help his family received in times of difficulty, Hurtado became very active in social issues. He set up an organisation called Hogar de Cristo (Christ’s Home). His shelters took in children in need of food and shelter, whether they were abandoned or not. He bought an old green van and checked out the streets at night on the lookout for young people who could be helped. His special charisma drew many helpers and benefactors and the movement was highly successful. In time, the shelters multiplied all over the country. It is estimated that between 1945 and 1951, more than 850,000 children received help from the movement.

In 1947, Hurtado entered the labour movement to give support to Chilean workers. Inspired by the social teaching of the Catholic Church, he set up the Chilean Trade Union Association, whose aim was to train union leaders in Christian values. To this end, he wrote the three books: Social Humanism (1947), The Christian Social Order (1947) and Trade Unions (1950). To spread the social teaching of the Church and help Christians reflect and act on the serious social problems faced by the country, in 1951 he founded a periodical called Mensaje (Message). He himself published numerous articles and books on labour issues, seen from the side of the Catholic faith. His attractive personality and consistently optimistic and joyful attitudes attracted people of all kinds—young and old, intellectuals and workers alike.

In 1952, after being rushed to hospital in great pain, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His last days were monitored by the national press and, even before his death, he had become a national hero. True to his nature, he gracefully accepted the inevitable. He died in Santiago on 18 August, 1952, just 51 years old.

Alberto Hurtado was beatified on 16 October, 1994, by Pope John Paul II and canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 23 October, 2005. He was one of the first to be elevated to sainthood during the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI and is the second Chilean saint, after Saint Teresa of the Andes.

An indication of his enduring popularity was the presence on the day of his canonisation of a very large contingent of Chileans in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square, led by President Ricardo Lagos and a number of high ranking Chilean politicians who had been Alberto Hurtado’s students.

The Hogar de Cristo he founded still exists and, through its fight for social justice, it has become one of the biggest charity groups in Chile.

Alberto Hurtado is remembered as deeply spiritual and untiring in his work for workers and the young, combining intellectual reflection and practical action.

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Commentary on Revelation 7:2-4,9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

The Solemn Blessing prayed during the Mass for today’s Feast of All Saints is:

God’s holy Church rejoices that her children are one with the saints in lasting peace.

As we come to the end of the Church year we celebrate this great feast of All Saints. It is important to emphasise from the beginning what we mean here by ‘saints’. Normally we apply the word to people of extraordinary holiness who have been canonised or beatified by the Church. Among them, each one has their favourites: St Francis of Assisi, St Therese of Lisieux, St Anthony, St Joseph, St Jude and so on.

But today’s feast uses the word ‘saints’ in a much wider sense. It refers to all those baptised Christians who have died and are now with God in glory. It also certainly includes all non-Christians who lived a good life sincerely in accordance with the convictions of their conscience. While we do not know how many people we are talking about, we know it is a very large number. Putting it another way, there is no way we can decide which people have made an irrevocable choice of rejecting what is true and good and have chosen to be alienated from God forever. But hopefully, their number is much smaller.

There is a third group which we will remember tomorrow, and they are those who have died, but still need a process of purification before they can come face to face with the all-holy God.

The Gospel chosen for today’s feast is interesting. It gives us what we know as the Eight Beatitudes from the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. It is, in fact, a charter for holiness. When many people think of holiness, they think of keeping the Ten Commandments and perhaps some other requirements of the Church like going to Mass on Sundays or fasting during Lent. What we often tend to forget is that the Ten Commandments really belong to the Old Testament and are part of the Jewish law. Of course, they are still valid and Jesus said clearly:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
(Matt 5:17)

We might say that the Beatitudes are an example of that fulfilling. The Beatitudes go far beyond the Ten Commandments in what they expect of a follower of Christ, and yet the sad thing is that one hears of relatively few Christians saying that they base their lives on the Beatitudes. When we go to confession it is the Ten Commandments we normally refer to and not the Beatitudes. And this is sad, because it is clear from their position in Matthew’s Gospel that the Beatitudes have a central place. They are a kind of mission statement saying what kind of person the good Christian will be.

Let us look at them briefly, but first we need to clarify a few of the terms used. The word ‘blessed’ is sometimes translated ‘happy’. It might be more accurate to translate it as ‘fortunate’. In other words, people who have these qualities are really in an envious position. All of these beatitudes are indications that we belong to the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’. This is to be understood not as a place, still less as referring to life after death. It rather describes the kind of society that exists when we live according to these values—a place of truth and love, of compassion and justice, of peace, freedom and sharing.

The general message is that those are really blessed when they know their dependence on God and on their sisters and brothers—when they commit themselves totally to the Way that Christ invites them to follow.

The Gospel says that particularly blessed are:

• Those who are poor in spirit: They are those who are aware of their basic poverty and fragility and of how much they need the help and support of God as opposed to those who foolishly claim independence and full control of their lives.
• Those who are meek: These are the people who reach out to others in care and compassion and tenderness, who constantly are aware of the needs of others.
• Those who mourn: Those who are in grief or sorrow for whatever reason will be assured of comfort from the loving community in Christ they have entered.
• Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: Whatever the price, these people will work that everyone will be given what is their due to live a life of dignity and self-respect. The price they may have to pay could be high, very high, even life itself.
• Those who are merciful: They are the ones who extend compassion and forgiveness to all around them.
• Those who are pure in heart: This does not refer to sexual purity, but rather to a simplicity and total absence of duplicity, prejudice or bias. Not surprisingly, they are described as being able to see God. For such people, God’s presence is all too obvious in every person and experience.
• Those who are peacemakers: This is perhaps one of the most beautiful of the Beatitudes. These are people who help to break down the many barriers which divide people—whether it is class, occupation, race, religion, gender or anything that creates conflict between individuals or groups. Not surprisingly, these people are called “children of God”. God sent Jesus among us precisely to break down the barriers between God and his people and between people themselves.
• Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness: Persecution of itself is not a pleasant experience, and may result in loss of life. But blessed indeed are those who have the strength and courage to put the values of truth and love and justice for all above their own survival. Among the saints we most honour today are the martyrs, those who gave their lives in the defence of truth, love and justice.

This is the kind of Christian we are all called to be. It is these qualities which made the saints and which will make saints of us too. They go far beyond what is required by the Ten Commandments. If taken literally, the Commandments can be kept and not with great difficulty. Many of them are expressed in the negative, “You shall not…” So we can observe them by doing nothing at all! “I have not killed anyone… I have not committed adultery… I have not stolen…” Does that make me a saint?

Being a Christian is a lot more than not doing things which are wrong. The Beatitudes are expressed in positive terms. They also express not just actions, but attitudes. In a way, they can never be fully observed. No matter how well I try to observe them, I can always go further. They leave no room for smugness, the kind of smugness the Pharisees had in keeping the Law. The Beatitudes are a true and reliable recipe for sainthood.

The Second Reading reminds us today:

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are.

Saints are not self-made people. They are people who have responded generously to the love of God showered on them. And the completion of that love is to be invited to share life with God forever in the life to come.

The Second Reading also says:

…what we will be has not yet been revealed.

We do not know, and have no way of knowing, what that future existence will be like, and it does not help very much to speculate. In fact, some of the conventional images of heaven are not terribly exciting! Kneeling on clouds and playing harps for eternity—partly derived from a too literal reading of the book of Revelation—is not exactly a turn-on!

It is better to go along with St Paul who says that life face to face with God is something totally beyond our comprehension. Let us rather concentrate on the life we are leading now and let it be a good preparation for that future time.

Indeed, the First Reading from the book of Revelation presents an apocalyptic vision of those who have died in Christ. They are numbered at 144,000—a number taken literally by some Christian sects. However, the number is clearly symbolical. It consists of the sacred number 12, squared and multiplied by another complete number, 1,000. It simply represents the total of all those who have died faithful to Christ their Lord. They represent “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages”, for access to Christ is open to all. They are dressed in white robes with palms in their hands. They are the robes of goodness and integrity. The palms of victory are a reference to the joyful Jewish feast of Tabernacles, for these are the ones invited to live in God’s tent or tabernacle.

Together with them are the angels, the 24 elders (perhaps representing the 12 patriarchs and the 12 Apostles) and the four living creatures (a very high rank of angels), all prostrate in adoration before the glory of God. The song they sing has been magnificently set to music by Handel in his “Messiah”. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honour, power and strength are seven attributes of perfect praise.

And who are these people in white robes?

These are they who have come out of the great ordeal…

In other words, they are those who have been through persecution, particularly the persecution of Nero, which occurred about the time this book was written. And, paradoxically:

…they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It is the blood of Jesus Christ which brings salvation, but only to those who have united with him in sharing its effects. Many of them, of course, are martyrs and they have mingled their own blood with that of Jesus.

It is a picture of total victory, and the end of all the pains and sorrows they endured in this life. It is not a newspaper reporter’s description of heaven!

Today’s feast is first of all an occasion for great thanksgiving. It is altogether reasonable to think that many of our family, relatives and friends who have gone before us are being celebrated today. We look forward to the day when we, too, can be with them experiencing the same total happiness when:

They will hunger no more and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat,
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
(Rev 7:16-17)

Today is a day also for us to pray to them—both the canonised and the uncanonised—and ask them to pray on our behalf that we may live our lives in faithfulness so that we, too, may experience the same reward.

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Commentary on Baruch 1:15-22

The Book of Baruch is one of the deutero-canonical (or ‘apochryphal’) books not found in the Hebrew or Protestant Bible. The Greek Bible puts it between Jeremiah and Lamentations, but the Vulgate has it immediately after Lamentations, where it is also found in our Catholic Bibles.

According to its introduction (see Bar 1:1-14), it was written in Babylon by Baruch after the deportation and sent to Jerusalem to be read at liturgical gatherings. The opening verses of this book ascribe it, or at least its first part, to Baruch, well-known as the secretary of the prophet Jeremiah. It contains five very different compositions, the first and the last in prose, the others in poetic form. The prose sections were certainly composed in Hebrew, though the earliest known form of the book is in Greek.

Today we have the first of two readings from the book. It is the beginning of what is called The Prayer of the Exiles, the exiles being those Jews who were deported to Babylon from Judah and Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BC. As the passage seems to belong to a much later date, it may rather reflect the feelings of a later community who saw in their own situation a similarity with those exiles.

The author had begun his book by saying:

These are the words of the book that Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah son of Zedekiah son of Hasadiah son of Hilkiah wrote in Babylon, in the fifth year, on the seventh day of the month, at the time when the Chaldeans [Babylonians] took Jerusalem and burned it with fire.
(Bar 1:1-2)

The details he gives indicate the year 582 BC, probably in the fifth month—the anniversary of the fall of Jerusalem—which was doubtless commemorated among the exiles as it was in Palestine. Today’s passage is a general lament for the situation of the Israelites now living in exile, far from their homeland and from Jerusalem and its Temple, the home of Yahweh.

But there is no complaint against Yahweh for their condition. Their sufferings are due to one reason and one reason only—the people’s long history of not obeying the Lord and going their own way. This began from the days the Lord brought them out of Egypt right up to the present time:

We have disobeyed him and have not heeded the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in the statutes of the Lord that he set before us. From the time when the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today, we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, and we have been negligent in not listening to his voice.

The writer compares the goodness and the integrity of God with that of his people. If they have suffered by being sent into exile, it is the result of their own sins and not the doing of the good God.

In our response to this reading we might reflect on how much of our own pain and misfortunes can be traced to our own behaviour, individually or corporately. It is so easy to blame God for our ills and use him as a scapegoat who will not strike back. But the first step in expressing our love of God must begin with a total acknowledgment of our own sinfulness.

Paradoxically, it is those who are most aware of their sinfulness who are closest to God—because an acknowledgment of sin is an awareness of a gap that needs to be closed. Those who deny their sin are the least likely to change and convert. But when we do suffer, the question to ask our God is not “Why me?”, but “What now?” How are we to turn this experience to a greater love of God and neighbour?

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Commentary on 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 Read Sunday of Week 4 of Advent (Year B) »

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Commentary on Numbers 24:2-7,15-17

Today’s first reading is from the book of Numbers. It is from that part of the Bible (the five books of the Pentateuch) which deals with the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Law to Moses, the long trek through the desert for 40 years and the settling in to the Promised Land.

In today’s reading, the Israelites are close to reaching their destination, but understandably, their arrival is not welcomed by those already in possession of these lands. The reading features the strange character of Balaam. He was a prophet or diviner from Pethor, near the River Euphrates in Mesopotamia. He had been asked by Balak, king of the Moabites, to put a curse on the invading Israelites. Babylonia was renowned in those times for divination.

Although he was in Jewish terms a non-believer, not one of God’s people, Balaam does not seem to be able to carry out his mission, much to the surprise of Balak. Instead, he becomes an instrument of God’s plan. The author of Numbers puts four oracles in the mouth of Balaam and we have two of them, the third and fourth, in today’s reading. They are inserted rather artificially into the narrative with which they do not seem to have a direct connection.

Our reading opens by telling us that Balaam sees the Israelites, encamped according to their tribes. He then speaks, but the implication is that the words are not his own, and certainly not what he was expected to say. He describes himself as a “man whose eye is clear”, as “one who hears the word of God” and “who sees the vision of the Almighty” (from the Hebrew Shaddai), “with eyes uncovered”.

Earlier in the chapter (not in our reading), there had been the strange experience with his donkey. On his way to curse the Israelites, the donkey suddenly stopped and refused to go further because the way was blocked by an angel of the Lord. Even though he beat the animal severely, it refused to go forward. Eventually God spoke through the mouth of the donkey, and Balaam’s eyes were suddenly opened to the presence of God before him. The implication is that even Balaam’s donkey could see better than he could.

The words that flow from Balaam’s mouth speak in high praise of Israel and of its prosperous future:

How fair are your tents, O Jacob….
Like palm groves that stretch far away,
like gardens…like aloes…like
cedar trees beside the waters.

Here is an image of the “land flowing with milk and honey” which Yahweh had promised earlier. The lushness of their new home is reminiscent of the fertility and peace of Eden.

The oracle continues:

…his king shall be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom shall be exalted.

Agag, representing the Amalekite kings, will give way to a greater king from Israel, perhaps indicating Saul, Israel’s first king, whose victory over King Agag is described in the First Book of Samuel (chap 15). Or it may be a reference to Saul’s successor, David. In any case, it leads us on to the second part of today’s reading, which contains the fourth oracle of Balaam.

Much of this oracle is a repetition of the previous one. Balaam, being now able to see and now able to hear the word of God, is endowed with knowledge passed on to him by God. It is a statement which looks to the future, to a time when Israel will rule over the kingdoms on the east side of the Jordan—Moab and Edom—a prophecy realised under the reign of David. And what Balaam sees is leadership emanating from Israel. He says a “star shall come out of Jacob”, referring most directly to David.

But this oracle also points to the expected Messianic ruler who will bring the ultimate victory over the enemies of God’s people:

…a star shall come out of Jacob, and a
scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the foreheads of Moab
and the heads of all the Shethites

And in that star, we clearly recognise Jesus, the One truly chosen by God as leader not only of Israel, but of the whole world. This is the star that the Magi followed until they came across the Child in the arms of his Mother.

The oracle shows how God wants to proclaim a wonderful future for his people before the whole world, coming from the mouth of a man who had been specially chosen to bring the curse of the gods on Israel. It is something we too need to consider. In the Gospel, the chief priests and elders found it difficult to hear the voice of God in the words and actions of Jesus. In our lives, too, Jesus can speak to us through very unexpected channels. We need to be constantly ready and make no exceptions.

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Commentary on Isaiah 63:16-17,64:1,3-8; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37 Read Sunday of Week 1 of Advent (Year B) »

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Commentary on Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1.3-8; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37 Read Sunday of Week 1 of Advent (B)- Alternate Commentary »

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Commentary on Zechariah 2:14-17; Psalm: Luke 1:46-55; Matthew 12:46-50

The Gospel reading is from Matthew. It is a short, isolated passage between a number of separate incidents taking place between the discourse on the mission of the disciples (chap 10) and the discourse on the parables of the Kingdom (chap 13). Today’s passage concerns the family of Jesus.

There are slight differences between Mark’s account of this event and Matthew’s. As usually is the case, Matthew’s treatment is softer, more gentle, but Mark’s may be closer to the original.

Matthew says that, while Jesus was speaking to the crowds, he was told that his mother and his ‘brothers’ were outside, looking for him. ‘Brothers’ is normally understood here in a wider sense to include cousins (even today in some cultures it is quite common for people to talk about their ‘cousin brothers’ or ‘cousin sisters’). Jesus was told:

Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.

Jesus’ reply seems rather abrupt and unexpected, if not downright impolite, especially coming from him:

Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?

Then, stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he says:

Here are my mother and my brothers!

And he then defines what constitutes being a member of his family:

…whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.

Jesus, of course, is not being rude to his mother or the rest of his family. But he is making what he regards as a very important point, and it is put in other ways in other parts of the Gospel. To be a follower of Jesus is to belong to a new family, a family with stronger ties than flesh and blood. It is a family which is bound in love and obedience to God as Father, to Jesus as Brother, and committed to living according to the Way of Life they propose.

Part of that Way, of course, is unconditional love of every single person, including even enemies. Surely then, the members of one’s own family would be included. But if ever there was a conflict between what God wants and what a family member wants, then there is only one choice available.

In Mark’s account of this story (Mark 3:31-35), he tells us earlier in the chapter, that Jesus had gone “home” and implies that he was in a house. This unspecified house, mentioned a number of times, is a symbol of the place where Christ’s disciples gather together. It is significant that in today’s passage we are told that Jesus’ family members were ‘outside’, indicating they were outside in more ways than one. Jesus and his disciples are on the ‘inside’.

And where does Mary come into all of this? Was she an outsider? Hardly! The girl who made her unqualified commitment to God’s will at Nazareth, never once withdrew it. And she was one of the very few who was with her Son to his last dying breath. She was with him in every way.

I need to ask myself if I am truly a member of Jesus’ family.

The First Reading is a short passage from the prophet Zechariah. The passage is a song of praise for Israel, called here “daughter Zion”. But the words can very easily be applied to Mary, especially where the Lord says:

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For I will come and dwell in your midst…

Then, the Lord says:

And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

Today’s feast, even if it may lack historical veracity, is full of meaning. It suggests that from her youngest days, Mary was being prepared for her unique role as the Mother of the Son of God, an extraordinary privilege shared by no other. At the same time, the real greatness of Mary is suggested in the Gospel where true greatness does not come from birth, but from the total giving of oneself to doing what God wants. In this Mary had no peer.

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Commentary on Matthew 18:21—19:1

The last part of Matthew‘s discourse on the church is about forgiveness. This is not unconnected with the previous section on excommunicating the unrepentant brother or sister. As soon as a brother or sister does repent, there must be forgiveness—not just once, but indefinitely—”seventy-seven times”.

The reason is given in the parable which Jesus speaks about the two servants in debt. The one who had a huge debt to the king was forgiven, but then refused to forgive a relatively trivial debt to a fellow servant. Understand that ten thousand talents then would be the equivalent of hundreds of millions in a major currency today, and the 300 denarii would have been the equivalent of about three months’ wages.

In the Gospel, the ones with the big debt to the king are clearly ourselves; the ones with the small debts to us are our brothers and sisters.

We do not expect God to forgive us once or twice or any limited number of times, but every time. It is nowhere written that we have, say, only ten chances of going to confession and, once our quota is used up, there is nothing left. But if that is true of our relationship with God, it also has to be true in our relationships with others. We can never refuse an offer of reconciliation. And, we might add, forgiveness is much easier to fully complete when reconciliation has taken place.

This is not at all the same as turning a blind eye to wrongdoing. Yesterday’s text made that very clear. We are talking about healing divisions between people; we must never put obstacles in the way of that.

We have now come to the end of this discourse indicated by the first sentence of chapter 19:

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.