Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35, NRSVue)
Is the beginning of this passage really about doing math? And keeping track?
Not seven times, but seventy-seven times we need to forgive. So I will let you get away with something seventy-seven times, but on the seventy-eighth, all bets are off, and you had better be ready for retribution. No, that is not it, as the story conveys.
Jesus tells of forgiveness of a debt that could never be repaid only for the one forgiven to go and demand a few cents from a friend. We need to forgive as we have been forgiven, as the Lord’s Prayer says: forgive us as we have forgiven. Do you really want to be forgiven as you have forgiven?
Do not keep track, and forgive freely. And share God’s love in all you do.
aSacredRebel 