Our Gospel this weekend is a continuation of the message we heard last Sunday from Matthew. Last Sunday’s Gospel stated that the man who has been wronged has the responsibility to confront the person who committed a sin against him, detailing a series of steps he would need to take in order for his brother to achieve forgiveness, justice, and reconciliation. In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus’ parable about forgiveness in response to Peter’s question about how many times we must forgive a brother who has sinned against us. In our modern world where vengeance, retribution, and revenge are played out on our streets, our schools, and our homes each day, this reading has a deep significance for us.
This reminded me of an interview of the actor Mandy Patinkin that I saw a few year's ago. He was talking about the movie The Princess Bride from 1987, which has become a cult classic movie from the 1980s. This is one of the famous lines that Mandy Patinkin has in this movie: “My name is Iñigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” In the interview, Patinkin talks about another line that comes from the end of the movie, that struck him while he was watching it many years later: "I have been in the revenge business for so long, now that it is over, I do not know what to do with the rest of my life.” Reflecting upon that quote, Patinkin says that the purpose of our existence here on earth is not to be revenge, but rather to embrace our fellow human being, to turn the darkness of the world into light.
Is that not the heart of the Gospel today? We are called to be able to let go, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation, to turn away from retribution and revenge. But it is hard to do, isn’t it? In my work as a priest, it is something even I am confronted with on a daily basis, something that brings a lot of angst and strife into my own life as well. Yes, what Jesus spoke about in his day is still so relevant to us today.
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