A sermon on Matthew 18:21-35

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
HCP columnist

God has commanded you to forgive. When you forgive, you let go of resentment and your claim of vengeance and punishment. I share this story from my life when I first learned about the gift of forgiveness.

On my 10th birthday I received the gift I had hinted to mom about for weeks. I would conveniently place on the kitchen table an opened Sears catalogue to the bicycle page with an arrow drawn to the bike I wanted. I reminded Mom I could run errands for her if I had a good bike. The pressure campaign worked. I was now the proud owner of a Sears Flightliner Bike All Chrome Edition. 

My cousin Christon also got a new bike, a Radio Flyer in the iconic red color.  

He and I decided to have a race to see which bike was the fastest. One Saturday morning we met at a gravel-filled back alley. It's hard to stop a bike on gravel, but we were not worried because the alley was pretty much abandoned. 

On the count of three, the race began. My bike flew down that road, leaving Christon far behind. I was ready to claim victory when something really bad happened. A little girl suddenly appeared on the road. She came from behind a fir tree. I hit her head on. Her upper chest became lodged in my bike handle. I dragged her several feet down the gravel road. She got up and ran screaming from pain. I tried to follow her, but could not find her. 

Several hours later, my father received a phone call from the mother. I do not know how she found our phone number. The mom told my dad the extent of her daughter's injuries – lacerations on the legs, arms and a broken collar bone. 

My dad was angry I did not tell him about this accident. I told him I could not help the girl because I could not find her. I was so traumatized that I blocked the accident from my memory. 

My father told me, "Michael, I want you to go down to that girl's house and apologize for what you did." 

He handed me an address. I was so scared as I walked to their house. I imagined the ways this mother would torture me. I felt so guilty. I deserved to be punished. 

I arrived at their door. I wanted to just run away, but knew I had to do this. The mother came to the door. She looked down at me through the screen door, showing no emotion. 

She simply said, "Come in." 

There sat the little girl at the kitchen table. A pitiful sight with bandages wrapped around her legs and arms. The mother went to the oven without saying a word. She opened the oven door. I thought, "She's going to cook me!" To my surprise and relief, she brought out a tray of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies. 

The little girl spoke. "I know you did not mean to hurt me. I forgive you. You must feel scared. When I feel scared, Mom makes me oatmeal raisin cookies. It makes me feel better. I told Mom to bake some for you." 

The mother spoke. "I forgive you, too. Remember this day when you find it hard to forgive someone who hurts you." 

We spent a lovely afternoon eating cookies dunked in milk. Anytime I eat oatmeal cookies, I think of that day when vengeance gave way to virtue. 

Sometimes terrible things happen to you. When those terrible, painful or disappointing things happen, you might get angry at God. Does that mean God will get angry with you? No. His Love is big enough to handle those times when you feel angry that God is not treating you fairly. 

How many times I have heard, "I am faithful to the Lord and He lets this happen!" 

Did not Jesus Himself feel forsaken by His Father? "At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?" (Matthew 27:46.)
 
Jesus still remained faithful to His Father despite the hurt and anger He felt. "Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:46.) 

You can feel anger at God at times. Be sure not to live in it. "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:22.)

My father had to pay the bill for the little girl's ER hospital visit. It was a whopping $35. I hope he forgave me. Blessings...Fr. Mike.