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Matthew 18:31 "When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their Lord all that had taken place."

 

This is in this parable of the unforgiving servant, who had his immense debt forgiven by his master, but refused to forgive the much lesser debt of his fellow servant. The master learns of this injustice through these other servants, and he revokes his mercy and punishes the unforgiving servant.

 

I sometimes come out of confession and realize I have confessed other people's sins. When I find I have done this, it is because I feel my misdeeds are better understood (or even justified?!) in the context of what others have done to me. This is wrong, full stop. It is something appropriate to therapy, maybe, if one feels that necessary, but certainly not confession. Jesus showed us how to deal with others' mistreatment of us: humble submission, with love and forgiveness. When I allow others' behavior to lead me into sin, my sin is still all my own, and it is the only thing I should bring to confession.

 

This came to mind now because in this parable the servants tell the master when the what the wicked servant has done, which leads to the wicked servant's punishment. The way this is written, that detail seems important. Jesus could have said "When the master learned of this," and left the "tattletale" fellow servants out of it, but He did not, He included this line, so it must have something to tell us about when and how to bring others' misdeeds to God.  I think the difference between the servants' behavior, which is right, and mine, which is wrong, lies in the words "they were greatly distressed", and in the questions: "On who's behalf were they greatly distressed?" and "What did they do with their distress?"

 

When I bring other people's sins to Confession, I may be greatly distressed by them, but I am using my distress at my own mistreatment to explain my bad behavior. God does not need to hear explanations or justifications in Confession, He already knows what others have done, and is working in their lives just as He's working in mine. My participation in this Sacrament is for me to be healed, so He wants me to acknowledge what I have done wrong so I can be truly forgiven, not for me to rely on justifications or excuses to explain my sins away. I can't be forgiven if I don't really think I've done anything wrong! 

 

The servants, however, were greatly distressed at the mistreatment of someone else - their fellow servant. They saw or knew of their master's example of forgiveness, and saw that the very servant who had been forgiven the most was failing to live by that example. They felt the injustice of it, and went to the only person who could possibly address that injustice, their master. If they had lashed out at the wicked servant in some way first, that would have been wrong. But they did the right thing and brought their distress at the injustice to their master.

 

What the servants did is what we should all do when we are distressed by others’ misdeeds, even if they have hurt us. We should bring the injustice or other sin, those committing it, and those being hurt by it, to prayer. If we react badly to our distress at injustice or others' misdeeds, and therefore sin ourselves, we are to bring that sin, and not anyone else's, to Confession.