Sermon for November 16, 2025
A reflection on Matthew 18, where Peter asks how often he must forgive and Jesus answers, “Until seventy times seven,” followed by the parable of the unforgiving servant. How should we relate to those who have strayed from the faith: keep our distance to stay pure, or stay close in hope of helping them return? Jesus calls us to be abundantly merciful, as God has been merciful to us, while also discerning what is right and holding fast to God’s commandments. As the old saying puts it, “In essentials unity, in non essentials liberty, in all things charity.”