The Gospel of Matthew 18:21-35
Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church 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, his 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.”
Let us Pray The Collect for this Sunday: O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
This again is another hard teaching. It is one of those teachings that remind us of Jesus’ divinity. No mere mortal would come up with an answer like this one. Jesus tells us that we must forgive unto infinity. My fallen nature desires a limit. My sinfulness wants to forgive a certain number of times and no more! But God desires that we imitate His mercy and His mercy is infinite. This message is about forgiveness in that it is a challenge to reflect on boundless mercy. God’s forgiveness is immeasurable, and therefore ours must be limitless. So, have you thought about Peter’s question, if you needed to forgive someone? Or have you just ignored that maybe you need to forgive someone. If you ignored forgiveness, how did you feel about it and how do you think the other person felt? On the other hand, when you forgive someone for any reason How did you feel? Forgiveness often discussed as a religious idea, it is also a popular topic in psychology. Studies have shown that forgiveness decreases anger, anxiety, and depression and increases self-esteem and hopefulness for the future. True forgiveness helps both parties cope. It reduces the feelings for the need for revenge, It helps manage the discomfort felt in unforgiveness or unresolved negative emotions, which often get in the way of their own well-being. Let’s consider Peter’s question, “How many times must I forgive… up to seven times? Which sounded generous. Jesus’ reply shatters the arithmetic: “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.” He is not giving a number; He is abolishing the idea that there is no limit to forgiveness. Matthew is trying to teach us to manage our emotions and forgive others as Jesus did. As Christians, we must contemplate in which way we can forgive others. It might be difficult, but it is somehow satisfying as well. Our hearts may be hardened but if we pray, it will soften as it heals. Then, it will be the time to give our forgiveness. As we look at this lesson, we see that forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a decision shaped by grace. Forgiveness is not minimizing the offense but acknowledging the wound by choosing mercy. Forgiveness frees the forgiver. Forgiveness is liberation. We forgive because God forgave us first.
Let us Pray: You have forgiven us more than we could ever repay. Your mercy is vast, unmeasured, and undeserved. Where bitterness has taken root, uproot it. Where wounds remain open, heal them. Where we resist forgiving, soften us. Teach us to forgive not from duty, but from gratitude for the grace You have poured over our lives Make us a witness of Your mercy by the forgiveness each of us extend to others. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 