the arithmetic of God - 3rd week lent Tuesday

In our dialect we have a word for it, maisip, kaisip sa imo a. And this is not just referring to forgiveness.  It may also include generosity, love, care, kindness or just plain goodness.  Kaisip means tit for tat.  I am expecting something in return, which means, since I have been kind to you, I expect you to be kind to me in the same measure.  If not, then we have another term for this kind of ingratitude – manumboy – sang sia gani may kinahanglan nagbulig ako, karon kay ako may kinahanglan tinalikdan niya ako.  TI sang una ako man, gin-amo mo man ako sina.  And what is that?  Nag-isipay na sila.

In our gospel today, through a parable narrated by Jesus, we are told that this is not the characteristic of God.  Ang Dios indi maisip in his relationship with us.  And in the same parable it is shown to us what would happen if God is maisip, which consequently leads to a bad end.  Notice that the payment for the huge debt was not only postponed.  It was written off.  When the master knew that his servant cannot pay, he did not offer to postpone the payment, he did not offer to provide a payment scheme nga daw hulogan, rather the master wrote off the huge debt.  Wala sia nagsiling, ay ti indi ka gali ka bayad, sa dason na lang a.  But instead the Lord said, ay indi ka gali kabayad, ti erason ta na lang a.  This is the attitude of God not just in forgiveness but also in his kindness, in generosity and in his love for us.

Kon maisip ang Ginoo and he loves only those who love him in return, then so many of us will perish for we always fall short in our love for God.  Kon maisip ang Ginoo in his generosity in the sense that he will only give us in the same measure that we give to him, then there would be so many of us who will become lost and miserable.

But this is not the arithmetic of God.  The arithmetic of God is the arithmetic of the cross – it is superfluous, excessive and disproportionate.  When Jesus says seventy times seven, this Hebrew word, seventy times seven means, always, continuously, constantly and without end. 

We may not be at par with God, but at the very least, unlike Peter, let us stop counting and putting limits in our forgiveness, in our generosity, in our care and in our love for others.