August 24th, 2025: The Unforgiving Servant and the Call to Forgive

On August 24th, 2025, Fr. Stephen Osburn preached on the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:23–35). In this teaching, Christ offers one of the clearest and most sobering lessons on forgiveness. The parable reveals that we forgive not out of our own strength or mere moral effort, but because we are made in the image of the God who forgives. To withhold forgiveness is to distort that image, but to extend mercy is to become more like Him who is Mercy itself.

The Parable Explained
Christ tells the story of a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. One servant owed him an unpayable debt—ten thousand talents, an amount beyond imagining. Unable to repay, the servant begged for mercy, and the king, moved with compassion, forgave the entire debt. Yet when this same servant encountered a fellow servant who owed him a small sum, he refused to forgive and cast the man into prison. When the king learned of this hypocrisy, he condemned the unforgiving servant, delivering him to the jailers until his debt should be paid.

Fr. Stephen highlighted the contrast: the first debt represents our own immeasurable sin before God, while the smaller debt represents the offenses of others against us. If God has forgiven us so great a debt, how can we withhold forgiveness from others for so little?

Forgiveness as Participation in God’s Nature
Forgiveness is not merely a moral duty but a revelation of who God is. As Scripture declares, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). We are created in His image, which means that our very identity is tied to mercy. To forgive is to reflect God’s character; to refuse forgiveness is to obscure that image.

Fr. Stephen reminded us that God’s forgiveness is not earned but freely given in Christ. The servant in the parable did nothing to repay the king, yet the debt was canceled. Likewise, in Christ’s death and resurrection, our sins are forgiven not because we could ever repay them, but because God is Mercy. This is the foundation for our forgiveness of others.

The Distortion of Withholding Forgiveness
When we refuse to forgive, we deny God’s image in us. We cling to anger, bitterness, and resentment, which corrode the soul and poison relationships. Fr. Stephen noted that unforgiveness enslaves us more than it punishes others. The unforgiving servant ended up imprisoned, not because of the original debt, but because of his refusal to extend mercy. So too, when we withhold forgiveness, we build our own prisons of bitterness and isolation.

Forgiveness and Human Weakness
Fr. Stephen acknowledged that forgiveness is difficult. Wounds run deep, betrayals cut to the heart, and injustices seem impossible to overlook. Forgiveness does not mean ignoring evil or pretending that wrong never happened. It means choosing not to let the offense define us or separate us from God’s mercy.

The key is that forgiveness is not accomplished by sheer willpower. Left to ourselves, we cannot forgive as God forgives. But by prayer, humility, and reliance on the Holy Spirit, we can share in God’s own forgiveness. In confession and communion, we are continually renewed in His mercy, and from that abundance we are able to extend mercy to others.

The Connection to Prayer
Fr. Stephen drew attention to the Lord’s Prayer, where we ask, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Every time we say these words, we declare that God’s forgiveness and our forgiveness of others are inseparably linked. To ask for God’s mercy while refusing mercy to others is to fall into the hypocrisy of the unforgiving servant.

Practical Steps to Forgive
The homily offered several practical steps for those struggling to forgive:

• Pray for those who have wronged you. Even if feelings of anger remain, prayer softens the heart and opens the door to grace.
• Remember God’s mercy to you. Reflect on your own sins forgiven by God, and let gratitude inspire mercy toward others.
• Confess bitterness. Bring unforgiveness to confession, where Christ Himself grants healing through absolution.
• Choose forgiveness repeatedly. Forgiveness is often a process. Each time resentment rises, return to Christ in prayer and reaffirm the choice to forgive.
• Seek reconciliation when possible. Forgiveness does not always restore relationships fully, but where reconciliation is possible, pursue it with humility.

Forgiveness as Freedom
Forgiving others is not only obedience to Christ—it is liberation. When we release others from their debts, we also release ourselves from the burden of anger. Forgiveness frees us to love, to live in peace, and to experience the joy of communion with God.

Fr. Stephen reminded the faithful that the saints bore witness to this truth. Many endured persecution, betrayal, and even death, yet they forgave their enemies. Their forgiveness was not weakness but strength, a testimony that Christ’s mercy was greater than any injury.

Forgiveness as Witness to the World
In a world filled with vengeance, grudges, and division, forgiveness is a radical witness. When Christians forgive, they reveal that another kingdom is present—a kingdom not of resentment but of love. Our forgiveness becomes evangelism, drawing others to the God who forgives.

Conclusion
On August 24th, 2025, Fr. Stephen Osburn reminded us through the parable of the unforgiving servant that forgiveness is not optional in the Christian life. We forgive not out of our own strength but because God has forgiven us an immeasurable debt. To withhold forgiveness is to distort His image in us; to extend mercy is to become more like Him who is Mercy itself.

The homily concluded with a challenge and an invitation: Let us examine our hearts for bitterness and resentment, bringing them to Christ in prayer and confession. Let us pray for the grace to forgive, even when it feels impossible. And let us remember always the words of Christ: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

In forgiving others, we are set free, we reflect the God who forgives, and we bear witness to the Gospel of mercy. This is not only a command but a gift—a way of sharing in the very life of God. May we, like the king in the parable, learn to forgive from the heart, so that we may enter into the joy of our Lord.