August 13, 2015
I wonder if Peter was in a quarrel with someone when he
asked the question, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I
forgive him?” I just feel like he was speaking from personal and maybe current
experience. Either way, it’s a great question. Yesterday the gospel said that
if our brother or sister won’t listen to us, or friends, or the church, it’s OK
to call it quits. But today the gospel is talking about our personal responsibility to
forgive not sometimes, not sort of, but always and all the way. Any time the
number 7 is used, it means perfection. So to say that we must forgive 77 times
means perfect perfect.
How
is this even possible? Well, for man, it is virtually impossible, but for God
it is a piece of cake and it is exactly how he forgives us. There is a great
word that is so small and might seem totally insignificant but in it is the
truth that will set us free. The word is: “as”.
“Forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us.”
“Love your neighbor AS the Father loves you.” “AS the Father loves me, so I
love you.” This one little word changes everything. The only way for us to even
begin to think about such a life changing word is with grace and even though we
are all steeped in grace all the time, it takes some effort on our part to be
able to draw upon that grace. Mostly, we just need to pay attention, but as the
gospels for the past week reminds us that we need healthy relationships.
I
like that the word relationship has the word “ship” in it because it reminds me
that there will be storms, waves, doldrums, sunshine, rain, and lots of other
conditions that will test our even keels. However, a sturdy vessel can handle
just about any of these and then add the grace of God into the mix and suddenly
your relationship becomes an aircraft carrier of abundant love, perfect
forgiveness, and the word AS keeps us from getting seasick and hurling over the
side.
The
story about the king that Jesus uses to demonstrate his point is one big “AS my
Father” zinger and his ending is perfect perfect (77): “Unless each of you
forgives his brother from his heart.” Perfect perfect (77) forgiveness is
always from the heart and is always AS the Father forgives us. Get your ships
ready to sail into the perfect perfect sunset of forgiveness from the heart.
Gospel MT 18:21–19:1
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed,
and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee
and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed,
and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee
and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
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