12 June 2016
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
In The Confessions, St. Augustine explains how our relationship with God is like a debtor and a creditor. Interestingly enough, God becomes a debtor for us. St. Augustine writes, “You allow us to pay more than you demand, and so you become our debtor, yet which of us posses anything that does not already belong to you? You owe us nothing, yet you pay our debts; you write off our debts, yet you lose nothing thereby.” (The Confessions, Chapter 1, Book 4).
In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus tells a story of a creditor who forgives the debts of his two debtors. Jesus then asks the Pharisee which of the debtors the creditor loves more. The Pharisee answers that it is the one whose larger debt was forgiven. Ponder the meaning of this story for a moment. Do you feel as a debtor to God or have you already let God pay all of your debts? By telling this story, Jesus wants us to focus on God’s abundant love for us. Do you honestly feel that God has written off your debts?
In the First reading, God said to David, “the sword shall never depart from your house…” These words should be a reminder for us that we cannot get away from the debtor-creditor relationship with God. Indeed, God has paid our debts through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. We still owe Him a lot in return for His love. Like the sinful woman who kisses Jesus’ feet and anoints them with ointment, we must do the same thing.