Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Matthew 18:21–22

21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” (NRSVUE)

Observation:

Peter is asking what to do if another member of the community of faith sins against him. Trying to sound generous, Peter suggests seven times. Why not seven? It’s a perfect number, and surely forgiving someone seven times would seem to be a very good thing to do.

At that moment, you can imagine Peter being a little dismayed. “Not seven times.” You mean that’s not enough? Instead, Jesus speaks of an incredible number, seventy-seven times — or, as some translations say, seventy times seven. Either way, it’s a big number, and it’s not one that’s supposed to be counted. Jesus is describing a generous heart of forgiveness.

Interestingly, this conversation comes immediately after Jesus has talked about how to respond when another member of the community sins. There is room for accountability and truth-telling, but there is also to be forgiveness. The two are not mutually exclusive. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that sin doesn’t matter. It means that even when sin does matter, the people of God are called to become a forgiving people.

Application:

Forgiveness doesn’t seem to be something we talk about much these days. From what I see on social media, we are keeping track of things and are often unwilling to act out of a spirit or heart of forgiveness. Somehow, it seems that everyone believes they are justified — righteously justified — in being angry with one another. And that the whole world needs to know about it.

My mom had a lot of practical sayings. One of them was, “Don’t air your dirty laundry.” I think we all know what that means, but from a practical perspective, my mom knew exactly what that looked like. Monday was wash day at her home on the prairies of Canada. The women of the house would heat water and use the old hand washing machine, as well as the wringer, to get the clothes clean. Then they would hang everything out to dry on a line where anyone coming by could see what was in the laundry that day.

My mother’s family wasn’t wealthy, but my grandmother used to say, “We don’t have to look poor.” She was careful to keep clothes clean, mended, and in good condition. She wouldn’t have imagined putting filthy, unclean laundry out on the line for everyone to see. What an embarrassment to the entire household!

The NRSVUE translates Peter’s question as referring to “another member of the church.” Jesus is talking about relationships within the community of faith. The reality is that we can easily offend and hurt one another. We can have very different perspectives on things, and sometimes there are matters that genuinely need to be addressed. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we pretend everything is okay or that accountability is unnecessary. But Jesus tells us that even in the midst of disagreement and hurt, we are to have hearts of forgiveness.

Generous hearts of forgiveness.

Just imagine if Jesus dealt with us in the same way that we are sometimes tempted to deal with one another. Where would any of us be? We live every day as recipients of grace and forgiveness. Surely those who have received such grace should become people who extend grace to others.

Practicing forgiveness has a way of setting us free. It doesn’t mean that whatever the other person did was okay. It doesn’t mean that truth no longer matters. But it does mean that we no longer have to carry the conviction that we are responsible for their punishment.

We can forgive them and leave them in the hands of God.

Seventy-seven times.

And then, if necessary, we forgive again.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to have a forgiving spirit and to love my brothers and sisters. Thank You for the gift that they are to me. Even when we come from varied backgrounds and perspectives, we are part of Your family. Give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent, but in all things, give me a generous heart of forgiveness. Thank You for the grace and forgiveness You have extended to me. Amen.