Today in our gospel lesson from Matthew, we hear that 10,000 talents was the largest possible debt that Peter ask Jesus, “how often should I forgive? As many could have been conceived of by the people of the time as seven times?” (for comparison, the combined annual tribute of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea around this time was only 600 Seven times seems to Peter to be an extravagant talents, and one denarius was a day's wages, so that number of times. I almost imagine Peter looking to get 10,000 talents would be about 200,000 years' wages). a pat on the back from Jesus for thinking so generously. In other words, Jesus is describing an abusurd amount And let’s be honest, for most of us, offering forgiveness of money. It is almost intended to be comical. It would seven times feels like a lot by human standards. be like in our world today, one individual owing the This is why I imagine that Peter is somewhat taken entire $20 trillion U.S. National Debt. aback by Jesus’ response to him. He says to Peter, “Not When we begin to understand this context then we seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” (or begin to understand what Jesus is getting at in this seventy times seven depending on the translation). parable. The slave who has been forgiven this Either way you translate it scholars agree that Jesus enormous debt, the size of a national debt by a merciful means an infinite number of times. master, then turns around and beats one of his fellow He goes on to illustrate his point by telling the parable servants because he owes him about $50 bucks. of the Unforgiving Servant. It is like this, isn’t it? One thing that is especially necessary to note in this -- parable is just how much money 10,000 talents represents and just how little money a hundred denarii An incredible example of the kind of forgiveness which represents. Jesus is talking about comes from a saint in our own church whose feast day we celebrated this past week One commentary describes it like this, “The talent in on September the 10th. this parable was worth about 6,000 denarii, so that one debt is 600,000 times as large as the other. More The Rev. Alexander Crummell, was an African American significantly, 10,000 (a myriad) was the highest Greek Episcopal Priest who was ordained in Massachusetts in numeral, and a talent the largest unit of currency, so 1842. He was such an impressive figure to prominent black intellectual, WEB Du Bois who co-founded the He saw the headless host turn toward him like the NAACP, that Du Bois devoted an entire chapter in his whirling of mad waters,—he stretched forth his hands book, “Souls of Black Folk” published in 1903, to eagerly, and then, even as he stretched them, suddenly discussing the life of Alexander Crummell. there swept across the vision the temptation of Despair. Crummell was born in 1819 in New York City, his mother was a free woman of color, and his father was a They were not wicked men,—the problem of life is not former slave. the problem of the wicked,—they were calm, good men, Bishops of the Apostolic Church of God, and In his chapter “Of Alexander Crummell” Du Bois strove toward righteousness. They said slowly, "It is all recounts his meeting with Crummell very natural—it is even commendable; but the General “I saw Alexander Crummell first at a Wilberforce Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church cannot commencement season, amid its bustle and crush…I admit a Negro." And when that thin, half–grotesque spoke to him politely, then curiously, then eagerly, as I figure still haunted their doors, they put their hands began to feel the fineness of his character,—his calm kindly, half sorrowfully, on his shoulders, and said, courtesy, the sweetness of his strength, and his fair "Now,—of course, we—we know how YOU feel about blending of the hope and truth of life. Instinctively I it; but you see it is impossible,—that is—well—it is bowed before this man, as one bows before the premature. Sometime, we trust—sincerely trust—all prophets of the world. Some seer he seemed, that such distinctions will fade away; but now the world is as came not from the crimson Past or the gray To–come, it is." but from the pulsing Now,—that mocking world which This was the temptation of Despair; and the young man seemed to me at once so light and dark, so splendid fought it doggedly…. and sordid. Fourscore years had he wandered in this same world of mine, within the Veil.” And yet the fire through which Alexander Crummell went did not burn in vain. Slowly and more soberly he Dubois goes on to describe Crummell’s Christian took up again his plan of life…He would gather the best Journey “A voice and vision called him to be a priest,—a of his people into some little Episcopal chapel and there seer to lead the uncalled out of the house of bondage. lead, teach, and inspire them, till the leaven spread, till the children grew, till the world hearkened, till—till— My prayer for us today is that we would all be stirred and then across his dream gleamed some faint after– and encouraged by this parable of Jesus and the story glow of that first fair vision of youth—only an after– of the life of Alexander Crummell to aspire toward the glow, for there had passed a glory from the earth. grace, patience, perseverance befitting of followers of Christ. We have been forgiven an enormous debt by One day—it was in 1842, and the springtide was our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As St. Paul puts it, struggling merrily with the May winds of New Jesus gave his life as a Ransom to the powers of sin and England—he stood at last in his own chapel in death so that we might be freed from the bondage that Providence, a priest of the Church.” they had over us. It is therefore our calling as Christians Du Bois goes on to describe how Crummell strove to offer this great love, mercy and forebearance to our against all odds always with a firm resolve, a deep fellow human beings. As we approach another election patience, and a forgiving grace to persevere through season in which ill will, extreme exaggeration and finger the trials of this life. pointing will abound in society, we Christians are called His ability to walk this Christian path of forgiveness and to model lovingkindness, patience, and that peace perseverance ultimately helped him to raise the money which passes all understanding instead of joining in the necessary for him to attend Cambridge University ways of the world: speaking with anger and refusing to where he became the first ever person of African forgive infractions that are very small in the grand descent to graduate from there in in 1853. He went on scheme of God’s great universe. Amen. to serve as a missionary in Liberia until his return to the United States where he settled in Washington D.C. and founded St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in 1876, a church that still stands today, where he served as rector until his retirement in 1894. Crummell made his way through life with a grace and perseverance that is inspiring. -