Sorry!?

My father-in-law, Carroll Neal, was the world’s most intense SORRY! player.  Most people try to get their tokens to the goal as quickly as possible; Dad would count his moves in order to land on someone else’s token–and gleefully shout “Sorry!” as he sent them home…  He wasn’t sorry a bit!  Scriptures for this weekend will look at God’s absolution when human patience is strained to the limit.

The lesson from Genesis remembers how Joseph–sold out by his brothers, but now the Viceroy of Egypt–met with these brothers to absolve them from their betrayal of long ago (Genesis 50:15-21).  “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us…?  (And why wouldn’t he?)   I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers…”  But pragmatic Joseph turned their former guilt into what God has done with it:  to save the Hebrews from famine “as [God] is doing today”.  After all these years, the family has been restored through this magnanimous gesture!  And they were genuinely sorry?

Paul exhorts his brothers and sisters in Rome not to condemn each other, especially about trivialities of custom and observance  (Romans 14:1-12).  “Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister?  Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister?  For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”  Paul didn’t want to see the Christian community broken by insignificant differences, and taught that God alone would be the restorer, absolving “those people” when I myself have run out of pity.  “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.”  And so our liturgy affirms:  “In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are not alone.  Thanks be to God.”

Matthew’s Gospel (18:21-35) recalls Jesus’ parable about gracious absolution.  Seems that there  was a slave heavily in debt to the king, to the tune of ten thousand talents!  (I’m told that the budget to maintain the Greek Navy of antiquity was TWO talents!)  “So the slave fell on his knees before [the king], saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’  (Which of course he couldn’t)  And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the [huge] debt.”  Happy ending?  Community restored?  Not quite…  The forgiven slave found another slave who owed him some, not a lot of, money…and put the hammer on him until he could repay the little bit.  The king heard about it and gave over the Big Debtor to be tortured “until he would pay his entire debt.  So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

So how much can we take God’s mercy for granted?  God has given me much, despite my callous and habitual disrespect for Creation and Creature alike.  Can I continue to act up, trusting that Steadfast Love to absolve me?  I mean, if God loves to forgive, should I not give God lots to do?  Are there limits to Grace?  and if so, where are they?  As the song says, “Who’s Sorry Now?”

God Bless Us, Every One                       Horace Brown King

My musings upon Scripture readings for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com