Heaven – It is hard to imagine – Some think of golf every day, others an enjoyable lazy morning – perhaps others constantly doing one’s favorite activity - but these all come up short – for playing golf, or any activity constantly will become boring – A lazy morning is excellent in a busy world – but there must be something beyond – something greater – … - Heaven is found in behold God himself – satisfying all can imagine – partaking in the inner life of the Trinity – it is something so great that we cannot comprehend it – to some it seems boring – but only because it is so transcend that our ability to understand comes up short – it is something we cannot honestly describe or understand. – We stand in awe, looking – longing, seeking, but, at least on this earth, never fully comprehending or grasping heaven's joy, glory, splendor, and happiness.
But there are some things we can say about heaven via negative – by what is not there – Today, we live in a world that is full of sin – … - if you do not believe me –look at a newspaper – or turn on the TV – or go anywhere on the internet - … - and if you have none of those – looking in a mirror might be enough- for we are all too aware of at least some our own sins as we come to the confessional again and again - But in heaven there will be no sin – there will be no debts to pay – an no one seeking to receive payment for debts – not only will there be no sin – but sin will not be possible at all – we will be free from sin – For heaven is a place of perfection – a place with no flaws beholding the face of God.
Heaven - a place of no sin – but how can we enter if we are attached to sin? This is the problem for the servant – hopelessly in debt – no chance he will ever pay it back – everything is at stake – falling to his knees begging for mercy from the king - asking for a chance – but the king knew that the servant could never pay it back – more time will not change anything – something more than just time is needed – and the kings wishes to give the servant mercy – not just giving him time to make right on his debts – but to wipe his debts away. – if only he will accept.
Yet, at the end of the parable – where is the servant? – not joyful – but handed over to the tortures – a miserable existence – with every last bit he owes to be extracted, something that is impossible and will never be completed – and why? Because he would not have mercy on his fellow servant!
One way this parable has been read has the idea that God’s forgiveness of our sins is conditional on us forgiving – but I think that is a problematic reading – as God’s love is not conditional – God is all merciful and wants to forgive – But the parable is clear – if we do not forgive – we will not receive forgiveness!
In the list of usual conditions for a plenary indulgence – a “remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven” there are what one would expected – receive communion, go to confession – but there is one that is a bit harder – “complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;” – how is one to be completely detached from sin?
It is easy to be attached to sin – first, there are our own sins with which we struggle habitually. But there are also other’s sins – when we watch and hope that so and so gets punished for cheating on the test, that this politician gets arrested and goes to jail for his corrupt action, that that CEO loses the money he got through unjust business practices – when our time and energy is spent on these, we are attached to sin – while all these things are wrong – and punishment for them may be just –obsession about them is not.
Recall Heaven – that place of perfection – where there is no sin, and no sin is possible – … - Can one enter with sin? No! We must be forgiven or sins to enter heaven – however, it is not only that – but, as heaven is a place of perfection without sin – we can have no attachment to sin – including other people's sins! It is not so much that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others, so much as we cannot accept God’s forgiveness if we do not forgive others – for if we are attached to sin, we cannot enter the place with not sin – even if it is the sin of others!
Why must we forgive to receive forgiveness? Because if we do not forgive, we cannot accept God’s forgiveness – for we are attached to sin which has no place in heaven – that servant was given to the torturers, not because he the king put conditions on mercy, but because he was still attached to the other servant's debt to him – and could not accept the king's mercy – it is not the king's conditions, but the servants own hard heart. In the words of Ben Sirach – “The vengeful will suffer the LORD's vengeance.”
Let us seek that “complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;” – let us seek to forgive, that we might be able to accept God’s forgiveness – not just on our strength – By our strength, we are not that different than the servant in the parable – But by the grace of grace – recognizing what he has done for us on the Cross – seeking to love others as he has loved us - looking to forgive, “not seven times but seventy-seven times” – that in Christ we might one day be welcomed into heaven – that place with no sin – beholding the face of God.