The Significance of Forgiveness

It's not about how many times.

The implication of today’s parable is basically the same as Jesus’ teaching about the speck and plank—both warn against receiving mercy while refusing to extend it. The overall idea is this: we are all in need of grace and forgiveness. Extend to others what God has extended to you.

In this way, it’s not about numbers. Once, seven, or seventy-seven begone. It’s about the sincere need at the moment. Anyone who’s keeping account of the number of times something has happened is missing the point of forgiveness (not to mention love).

(It is certainly true that over time, once an individual or group has sinned against once, it becomes easier to do so again. So a repeated request for forgiveness can, but might not necessarily, lose its sincerity over time. Again: grace and forgiveness is always available. But the human heart is prone to hardness if not softened by receiving the loving Spirit of God.)

Forgiveness doesn’t happen seventy-seven times all at once. It happens one-at-a-time in a particular context in time (though often it may take some time to get there).

So Peter’s question is the wrong question asked from the wrong posture (“Just how many times do I have to put up with this person?”). The issue isn’t quantity, but quality.

When you look through the gospels, the occasions where Jesus speaks explicitly about judgment often hinge on tangible actions—whether or not one bears fruit (Matthew 7), or whether or not one serves “the least of these” (Matthew 25). Here, the dividing line is whether or not one forgives others. Salvation is not about a particular prayer or invitation into the heart unless it results in particular action. In this parable, the criterion between acceptance by the eternal God is exactly about whether or not one forgives others.

Significant.

Matthew 18:21-35

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Should I forgive as many as seven times?”

Jesus said, “Not just seven times, but rather as many as seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle accounts, they brought to him a servant who owed him ten thousand bags of gold. Because the servant didn’t have enough to pay it back, the master ordered that he should be sold, along with his wife and children and everything he had, and that the proceeds should be used as payment. But the servant fell down, kneeled before him, and said, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ The master had compassion on that servant, released him, and forgave the loan.

“When that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred coins. He grabbed him around the throat and said, ‘Pay me back what you owe me.’

“Then his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he threw him into prison until he paid back his debt.

“When his fellow servants saw what happened, they were deeply offended. They came and told their master all that happened. His master called the first servant and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you appealed to me. Shouldn’t you also have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ His master was furious and handed him over to the guard responsible for punishing prisoners, until he had paid the whole debt.

“My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if you don’t forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Psalm 133:8-11

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, very patient, and full of faithful love. God won’t always play the judge; he won’t be angry forever. He doesn’t deal with us according to our sin or repay us according to our wrongdoing, because as high as heaven is above the earth, that’s how large God’s faithful love is for those who honor him.

Prayer

God,

Honestly, limitless forgiveness seems kind of reckless. I know you know what people are like. How will they ever learn if they’re forgiven all the time? I’m just being honest.

I know your compassion is deeper than mine, that you can see beyond the limits and boundaries I set up for my safety and that of those I love.

So move me to your ways, Lord. Set me at the place where your compassion and forgiveness knows no end.

By your Spirit & in Christ,

Amen.