PETER’S FORGIVENESS QUESTION

 

Saturday, January 28, 2023

 

PETER’S FORGIVENESS QUESTION

 

Matt 18:21-22

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

 

          It was a maxim among the Jews not to forgive more than three times. Peter, wishing to demonstrate his great capacity to forgive suggests a number twice that plus one. Jesus must have smiled at this for the fishermen disciples were brawlers, sometimes referred to as “sons of thunder” (See Matthew 3:17).

 

          Seventy times seven is 490 times which seemed to Peter quite an unreasonable sum. Offenses come in several varieties. There is the accidental, stepped on my toe, variety which will likely not be repeated because it was not supposed to happen in the first place. Then, there is what I call the “social” variety which offends anyone who is not part of my favorite group. This we learn in the schoolyard and then perfect in congress. Finally, I think, there is a pattern of behavior which it seems only God is capable of forgiving. Jesus follows with a parable of a king and a debtor. The idea seemed to be that, if you had been forgiven, you should forgive.

 

          Personally, I’m with Peter. I agree that forgiveness is hard, nearly impossible in some cases. I, and probably you, need a special kind of grace which comes only from God. First Corinthians chapter 13 indicates that love keeps no record of wrong. In other words, if you keep a tally of 490 offenses, then you haven’t forgiven at all. Forgiveness is not a trait that is ever accomplished but is always struggling. At least that is so for me.

 

Eph 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 

Dear Lord, I know my deeply rooted offenses and wonder how you could possibly love and forgive me – but I am thankful that you did – and still do. AMEN