Tuesday March 21
Being the recipient of unbounded generosity is not always a pleasant experience. On the contrary, it can be humiliating sometimes. This is especially so, when the act of generosity happens in public and is linked with one’s failure to fulfill one’s duties. More significant is how the recipient views his or her relationship with the giver. These factors reveal that the servant went away in seething anger and in deep shame.
It is little wonder then, that he was incensed when he met a fellow servant who had owed him money—had the latter paid him on time, he could have paid back the master and avoided the shame of his life!
The pity is, had he known the heart of the master, he wouldn’t have felt incensed; he could have delighted in his mercy, instead. Besides, the servant was possibly so prideful that he could not bring himself to humility and gratitude. Azariah’s prayer gives us the two necessary attitudes of the heart to receive forgiveness gratefully: a contrite soul and humbled spirit. If the servant had these two traits, he would have rejoiced in the master’s act and eagerly passed on a similar favor to his unfortunate friend as well.