It is difficult to understand poverty if we had not had the experience of living from hand to mouth and with nothing to rely on.
It is difficult to understand physical handicaps if we had not had the experience of the temporary loss of our limbs or faculties.
And it may be difficult to understand love, compassion and forgiveness, if we had not had the experience of wrong-doing and having to pay for our faults.
If we had not gone down on our knees to pray, or beg, for forgiveness, then love and compassion may just be concepts or ideas in our minds.
Although the gospel parable may not be based on any factual account, yet we cannot say that such a situation did not happen.
But more importantly is the message of the parable, that God is truly love, compassion and forgiveness.
As the 1st reading would state this about God: What god can compare with you – taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy.
So let us heed the call to repentance.
We don’t need to be brought down to our knees to understand the love, compassion and forgiveness of God.