Chapter XL.
FRATERNAL CORRECTION— FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES—
THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT.
[Mat. 18, 15 — 35. Luke 17, 1 — 4.]
JESUS, continuing His teachings, said: “If thy brother shall offend[1] thee, go[2] and reprove him[3] between thee and him alone[4]. If he shall hear thee[5], thou shalt gain[6] thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more. If he will not hear them, tell the Church [7]; and if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican [8]. Amen I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth[9], shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven."
Peter asked Jesus: “Lord, how often shall my brother[10] offend me and I forgive him? till seven times?" But Jesus answered: “I say not to thee till seven times, but till seventy times seven." [11] Thereupon Jesus related
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. The kingdom of heaven is likened [12] to a king who would take an account of his servants. When he had begun to take the account, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents [13]. As he had
- ↑ Offend. Or injure you.
- ↑ Go. Do not wait for him to come to you.
- ↑ Reprove him. i. e. show him how he has wronged you.
- ↑ Alone. So as not to put him to shame before others without necessity.
- ↑ Hear thee. If he will listen to and accept your proposals.
- ↑ Gain. For the kingdom of heaven.
- ↑ The Church. The authorities of the Church.
- ↑ A publican. As a man excommunicated from the Church, and having no part in the kingdom of God.
- ↑ Bind upon earth. By these words our Lord explains the reason why a sinner who will not be reconciled is shut out from the kingdom of God; because the sins and punishments which are retained (i. e. not remitted) by the apostles would be equally retained by God. A sentence pronounced by the apostles on earth would hold good before God in heaven. The effect of their judgment would extend from the present to the future, from time to eternity.
- ↑ My brother. My fellow-creature.
- ↑ Seventy times seven, i. e. there is to be no limit to forgiveness of injuries.
- ↑ Is likened. It happens in the kingdom of God as it happened with a king who was taking an account with his servants.
- ↑ Ten thousand talents. About £ 4,000, 000 of our money, therefore an enormous sum — impossible, it may be said, to pay.
