God wants us to show mercy towards one another

March 22, Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
Readings: Daniel 3:25, 34-43 & Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Mercy is a spiritual virtue that we cultivate in our Christian lives. God's mercy toward each of us demonstrates how God desires that we show mercy to one another. When Peter inquired about forgiveness and showing mercy to one's neighbor, he characteristically responded with an answer he believed would satisfy Jesus. Why are you so adamant about not forgiving your neighbor seven times? Jesus' rebuttal to the proposition that one must forgive seventy times is incredible.

Jesus made it abundantly clear that mercy and forgiveness have no bounds. And he illustrated his point with a parable about two very distinct types of debt. The first man must make a massive payment to the king. The man who had been absolved of such an outstanding debt was incapable.

However, the man who had been forgiven such a large debt could not bring himself to forgive his neighbor who owed only a small amount. The divergence could hardly have been more significant.

Jesus fully atoned for our sin and condemnation. According to Paul the Apostle, "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). There is no way for us to repay God for the debt we owe him due to our sins and transgressions.

Only God's mercy and forgiveness can free us from such debt. In comparison to our obligation to God, our neighbor can do no wrong to us. If God has forgiven each of us of our enormous debts, we must also forgive others of their debts to us.
Let us show mercy to one another to possess a spiritual value called "MERCY."