The Just Lord

    Have you ever wondered how an all loving God could allow punishment to His children? I have, and then I began to understand that God is a Father. To understand how God works in this role, I look at the really great fathers here on earth and see that yes; they are all loving of their children, but in certain times in life they must be tough and they must give just punishment. The same works with our Heavenly Father and when we are not obeying the rules of our Father's land. This goes far beyond any punishment or law of man, but does not exclude them. So here is my take on the Gospel today and how it shows that God is all loving and merciful and forgiving, but God is also just.

"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."

    This is the perfect example of God's unending love for each one of us. He love us so much that He is willing to take away all debt, all sin, all failure! God gives us a beautiful Sacrament of Confession to rid ourselves of debt. There is one catch with this Sacrament however! You must be truly sorry for all the things you have done, even that sin that continues to happen on a daily basis (Hey Gossip, Lying, Cheating, Judging Others, etc...). You must go in with God and be truly sorry. The beauty of God is that He will grant you this gift without questioning your motives, but once you leave the confessional and begin to move on with your day, God will take notes and if you are not following the same rules and following God's example of forgiveness, then God will be that just Father!

"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.’"

    God tells us in our confession and here in Scripture that we must forgive others like God forgives us. Yes, holding that grudge over someone for all these years is going against what God has made you to be. Take a look at the servant who was forgiven.... why is it ok for him to be forgiven fully of a large debt, but then turn around and attack a fellow servant for a smaller debt? It is not so then God steps in and gives a just punishment! People, today you need to look at the way you forgive and the way God forgives you. If you are not doing it the same way as God is forgiving, well then God is not going to forgive you because He is just and gives you exactly the treatment that you deserve. If you do not forgive, your own faults will not be forgiven!

    So today, let us all take a sobering look at how we forgive others, if we do, and compare that to the times in which God has forgiven us. Like Jesus says today: "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." Today let us take time to forgive all those debts we are owed and to release all grudges and begin to right ourselves and to be more like God. Remember that God is forgiving, but He is also like this landowner who is just when He needs to be!