Pay It Forward

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 the fellow servant 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 his brother from his heart.” When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan. (Matthew 18:21-19:1)

Pay it forward is an expression describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others instead of to the original benefactor.  It’s an old concept brought to life in the 2000 drama/romance of the same name.  According to the description of this story: “It’s about a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his junior high school class to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. When one young student creates a plan for ‘paying forward’ favors, he not only affects the life of his struggling single mother, but he sets in motion an unprecedented wave of human kindness which, unbeknownst to him, has blossomed into a profound national phenomenon.”

Pay it forward is a sort of paying back what is owed as a way to be thankful.  It’s opposite to what the servant did.  He had no intention of following the model presented by the master who forgave the servant’s entire debt – a 77 times forgiveness.  The servant wouldn’t even forgive 7 times.  His fate: torture.   Quit the penalty for being a self-absorbed idiot.  At first, he likely thought the master to be a sucker.

How many of us beg for mercy and forgiveness of our transgressions and then turn around to show no little to no mercy for those in pain and in need of help – some simple grace we have in abundance but seldom use as a way to show our appreciation to God and love of neighbor?  Today’s Gospel is a warning for us to choose either pity, compassion, care, and love or the torture chamber.  The number 77 is a far better choice than number 7.

Deacon David Pierce