Think Big
Adapted from a sermon by Fr David Shehata
Luke 10:21-28
We are called to think big. To look at the bigger picture and not just the mere visible steps before us.
Seventy disciples were sent out to preach, to do miracles and amazing things. They returned with great joy, saying even the demons were subject to them in His Name. The Lord responds by telling them to think even bigger than this; “Do not rejoice at this, but rather, rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” This is the bigger picture.
We then hear a lawyer pose a question to the Lord. The topic of heaven has been raised and we should rejoice because there is a place for us in heaven, but what must we do to inherit the Kingdom? The answer to this is simple – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbour as yourself.’ ” (Luke 10:27).
The lawyer then asks, “who is my neighbour?”
This is an important question for us also. Many times we know and are fully convinced that to attain salvation we must love God. We love our Lord with all our heart, mind and strength. Sadly, the following part can be missed- to love my neighbour as myself.
When the Lord describes my neighbour, He uses the parable of the good Samaritan. In this parable, a man is found on the street, he is robbed, beaten and left for dead. Three people are given the opportunity to show love to this man. The first is a priest and the second is a Levite. Both pass by without giving the man much notice. The third is a Samaritan that sees the man, has compassion upon him, bandages him and ensures he is restored back to health.
After telling this parable, the Lord then asks, “So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?” (Luke 10:36). The answer to this question is the one who showed mercy. Our Lord then instructs the lawyer, and us who hear this interaction, to go and do likewise.
Having compassion on my neighbour, my brothers and sisters is something extremely important in our lives. Having compassion is pivotal in the life of the Christian. If you and I want to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, if we want to spend our eternity in Heaven, then we must have compassion. To further emphasise we must exercise compassion in our forgiveness for those who have wronged us.
Sometimes I may think, “Yes, I can forgive most things, but you don’t understand the hurt that this person has caused! This is the only thing I cannot forgive”
When we feel this way, we can look back on how St Peter reflected upon forgiveness. Thinking he had done exemplary work, he questioned Christ saying, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). As if to say, that he forgives so much already, not just once or twice, but even up to seven times. As if the Lord would be impressed by the height of his virtuous forgiveness.
The Lord brings him back down to earth with His response; “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” You can imagine the disheartened look on St Peter’s face when he hears this. It is not just up to seven times, but to the point where you can no longer count how many times you have forgiven.
He continues on with a parable to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. There was a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. There was one that owed ten thousand talents and was unable to repay the king. He begged for forgiveness and the king was moved with compassion and freely forgave his debt. He released and forgave the entire debt.
Incidentally, the servant was owed one hundred denarii by a fellow servant. Having seen the king just be moved with compassion for his own, much larger, debt, the servant imprisons his fellow servant. The king hears about this and says, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” (Matthew 18:32-33).
Jesus explains the concept of forgiveness in this manner. The lesson here is, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Matthew 18:35).
This is extremely real for each of us. We must love and we must forgive. We must understand why we forgive. Psychology teaches us that those that hold on to grudges, every time we remember why we are upset with someone, those old wounds are reopened as if they just occurred. When we forgive others, it grants us freedom. Those that forgive others tend to be happier people.
From a Christian perspective, I do not forgive others because they deserve it, but because I, myself have been forgiven. The Lord makes it clear that we need to forgive for the debt that was freely paid for our own sins.
If I want to inherit the Kingdom, I must first remember the Lord freely forgave me, and I show my thanksgiving for this by forgiving those that do wrong to me. Even though they do not deserve it. When we do not forgive, we hold ourselves captive and relive the pain time and time again. The reality of this is a psychological prison. Ultimately, I am trapped, and I am hurt.
Do I truly love my neighbour as myself? Do I truly show compassion on my neighbour? Do I serve and do I want others to do even better than myself? To answers these questions honestly, I must reflect upon my tolerance and acceptance of those around me. Am I able to consider them? Do I avoid those that I consider to be difficult and annoying?
St Gregory of Nazianzus once said, “my love for God is equivalent to the person I love least.” This is the measure for which I love God. Even if I think I love God but cannot tolerate any single person in my life, I am fooling myself. We must see Christ in everyone around us, for they are all created in His image and likeness. I judge others not by their actions, but by their intentions. In the same way, I can look at my own actions, and give myself reasonable intention, I display this same benefit of the doubt to others.
I keep the Word of God close to my heart, and I do not let the world come in between me and my Love for God. Read the Psalms and keep these words close to your heart. We pray that our hearts are full of forgiveness so we may love our neighbours as we love ourselves. Every time I pray, I can truly say, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”