Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 9, 2026

The following message by Sister Janelle Sevier, SNDdeN was provided by the SNDdeN Congregational Mission Office:

Matthew 18: 21-35

Peter, in his desire to “get it right” and to know the “measure” required of him, stands in for all of us this weekend, as is so often the case with our friend Peter.

Wanting to know the limit of Jesus’ command to forgive, Peter’s question prompts Jesus to tell today’s parable. Peter wants to “know” so that he can fulfill what is required of him, a rather decent goal. Perhaps you have asked this sort of question yourself.

Jesus, however, invites Peter, and us, into a much larger, less measured, and more generous worldview: one of compassion and mercy. Seventy-seven times? What?

I admit that this story always catches me off guard. The servant, having just been shown such extraordinary mercy, turns around and treats another person with harshness and remarkable smallness. It is an unpleasant shock. I do not like it. The first servant’s attitude really bothers me. What? He did what? How could he?

Again, the parable is doing its work.