In the Gradual today, we heard that the Lord has been our refuge through all generations. St. Paul tells us to put on the armor of God.
Often in scripture, when you see an older son and a younger son, or a greater and lesser debtor, you can draw an allegory between either the nations and Israel or between Satan and his minions and humanity. While it doesn’t apply perfectly here, that can help us to recognize the necessity of repentance, mercy, and forgiveness in today’s Gospel.
The first debtor was forgiven much, and then turned around and violently demanded a much smaller amount that he thought was owed to him. Satan and his minions, when they turned away from God, did so out of envy. They thought that they were owed what was given to humanity, and have worked their hardest through all of history to destroy us because of it. At the end of time, when the final judgment is upon us, those evil creatures will be handed over to the torturers, and all that is due to them will be given them.
Let us not allow the evils of holding grudges, of anger, of unforgiveness take hold in our hearts. If we do that, then we have put ourselves in league with evil. Instead, let us find our refuge in God. Let us allow him to give to those who attack us and hurt us what is their due in the course of his plan, so that we might be able to live as free children of God.