How Many Times?
The other day my two sons were fighting with one another, so their mother and I decided to take their phones away from them. We told them they wouldn’t get them back until they learned to be nice to one another. My oldest son asked, “How long do I have to be nice to him so that I can get my phone back?” I answered, “Forever!”
I get it, I have siblings too. I understand how easy it is for us to get irritated with one another, but despite my irritations I know that I will always love them. The same is supposed to be true for how we feel about all people. It is easy to get irritated or even angry at one another but as Christians we are taught to love and offer mercy to one another.
In our Scripture this Sunday, we will explore Matthew 18:21-35. In this Scripture, Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother or sister who sins against them. Jesus responds, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Jesus then follows this with a parable about a forgiving king and a wicked servant who is forgiven but fails to do the same. Jesus’ answer and parable were meant to teach Peter that there is no limit to the forgiveness we are to offer one another because the forgiveness God offers us is limitless. But is it limitless according to this Scripture? Well, yes and no.
In this Scripture, the number 77 is obviously more than the 7 times Peter originally stated but it is not an infinite number. If Jesus meant for us to offer limitless forgiveness, why didn’t he say, “not seven times, but an infinite number of times”? Well, I believe that in parable that followed, Jesus gave that answer. In the parable, the king was willing without limit to forgive the servant, but it wasn’t until the servant was unwilling to forgive others that the king revoked his forgiveness. Jesus then said, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” So, is that the truth, that forgiveness can be revoked if we fail to forgive one another? No, I don’t believe it can, but I do believe that we do not fully understand how God has forgiven until we offer the same grace to one another. The point, I believe, Jesus was making is that whoever counts how often they forgive one another has not forgiven at all, but is merely pretending. Real mercy, God’s mercy is unmerited and is a forgiveness beyond all calculation.
Join us this Sunday for worship at 8:30 or 10:45 AM as we continue this conversation.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
