This Sunday marks with two significant events.
They are the feast day of the commemoration of the Holy Cross and the commemoration of September 11.
The first of these significant events reminds us of the death of Christ on the cross in our place.
Today we thank and praise our God for his cross where an enormous and painful price was paid.
The other event burns in the memories of many Americans who have endured the physical and emotional pain caused by the attacks of the hijackers on September 11, 2001.
Later, when the casualties were numbered, it was understood as the worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States.
As far as these two commemorations had coincided, I looked for common ideas.
One helpful thing was an email from the President of our Synod titled "A Hopeful Lamentation on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11"; it came with a snapshot of the iron cross erected on a concrete pedestal in the heart of Manhattan.
Soon thereafter I stumbled upon the identical picture of the memorial cross, but on this occasion, it stood beside an aged crucifix hanging on a wall of a certain church.
This scenery brought up a variety of thoughts which I would like to discuss today.
First, the cross in Manhattan embodies the national lamentation over the thousands of Americans who lost their loved ones and friends.
In addition, it calls to our memory the innocent victims of the global terrorism.
Second, the iron cross asks for revenge in hope to establish a secure zone for the peaceful life.
Third, in the light of the current commemoration of the Holy Cross the act of setting up the relic cross in Manhattan proves the truth of impossibility to remove the Christological mystery from the hearts of those who hope on Jesus even despite the universal demonization of our society.
From this we conclude that the two significant events of the day have at least one thing in common - a Cross by itself! Now let us take a look at the gospel reading of this day relevantly to the current discussion.
It narrates the Parable of "the Unforgiving Slave," (Mat 18:21-35).
The passage opens with Peter's address to Jesus, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" "I tell you, not as many as seven,...
but 70 times seven," (vv.
22).
This answer revealed us God's supernatural mindset given as a rule to be followed.
Next, Jesus told a meaningful story about a King who decided to settle accounts with his people.
It came to light that a debt of a certain man was as large as 375 tons of silver.
It was not possible for him to return the money and escape the ultimate punishment.
In this occasion the man cried for mercy.
The King had compassion on him and released the debtor.
Thereafter, the lucky person met a certain person who owed him one hundred silver coins sometime ago.
Then, the creditor seized such a burden and treated him harshly demanding all his coins back even regardless of a plea for mercy until the debt could be paid back.
However, in contrast to the great kindness of the King, the ungrateful man refused to forgive the debt of his friend and cast him in a jail.
This happening became known to the King.
"You wicked servant! said the King when the former debtor was brought back before his glorious throne, (Mat 25:31,32) "Why didn't you show mercy to your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?!" And in anger, the King handed that slave over to the prison until he paid everything.
Drawing a parallel to the teaching of the parable Jesus concluded, "So will my heavenly Father do with you, unless you sincerely forgive your brothers and sisters," (vv.
34-35).
At the same time, we are all witnesses of the Father's love which was revealed in the forgiveness of our debts/sins when we believed in Jesus Christ.
Speaking from our knowledge of His generous character, we acknowledge that the Father hears the cry of our penitent heart and forgives our transgressions as much as the servant from the parable was forgiven.
Next, the Father expects the same attitude from us that is to forgive people who sin against us; otherwise, the Father will hold back his forgiveness.
Alas, there is still a problem about the forgiveness in the case when our troublemakers don't care about of our forgiveness at all.
Do they deserve the forgiveness anyway? We think that it is conditional! On the one hand, Jesus cried to the Father on behalf of the people who had crucified him "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing," ( Luk 23:34).
On the other hand, if the provokers are certain about what they have done, after all, they are expected to repent and ask forgiveness according to Jesus' teaching (Luk 17:4).
But the important conclusion from all what we've learned is that the Heavenly King holds back our debts/sins in return for our refusal to forgive our fellow who plead to us for mercy.
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,"(Mat 6:14-15).
When Christians go through trials and temptations they may ask themselves, Why does God let bad things happen to me? Or, What did I do to deserve all these troubles? Have you ever thought that the reason for our possible misfortunes can be caused by our unwillingness to forgive as well as to ask forgiveness? A good example to follow comes from the movie, "A Man Called Peter.
" It shows a wife of a pastor who decided to write letters to all the people she thought she might have offended during her lifetime.
In this way she prevented herself from being a wrongdoer before the judging throne of Christ and at the same time giving a chance to her possible offenders to express regret and repentance.
She acted wisely, "For what is the profit to be sorry for my sins before God, she thought, and to be unforgiven by people whom I might have offended.
" At the same time she had to forgive here offenders when they asked.
A wise Christians always follow the golden rule, - they just forgive others as the Father had forgiven them.
Alas! It is simple as a child but not always practicing.
As we are thinking over the Holy Cross, let us keep in mind the two most valuable gifts.
First, the Lord Jesus Christ had suffered death on the cross to make atonement for our souls that we might be clean from all our sins before God.
Secondly, as we have recognized Christ's travail of His soul on our behalf, our renewed heart and mind rejoice always being "ready to do whatever is good," ( Titus 3:1 ).
The parable of "The Unforgiving Slave" shows that it is good in God's sight when we respond to the cry of our debtors by mercifully forgiving our debtors by deeds and words.
Isn't it true that to be forgiven is the key of our forgiveness by the Father as well? As we end, let us reflect again upon the cross in Manhattan relatively to the cross of Jesus.
They still have one thing in common regardless of the considerable differences between the two,.
Both of them symbolize judgment; one - God's, and the other man's.
However, human judgment, as usual, abides with endless unmercilessness.
It can be proved by a growing number of victims from both sides - "debtors" and "creditors".
In contrast to this, we are the recipients of God's great mercy God's without end, for all who fear and love Him.
The outcome of the cross of Jesus produces a profound change in the lives of people who have genuine faith in Him.
To be forgiven by the Heavenly Father requires a new way of thinking and acting toward the hostile world around us.