The Upload
Posted on Sep 12, 2014 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray you had a blessed week.
If you remember, last week I wrote about how Jesus taught his followers to live together in a healthy and honest community. In our text last Sunday, Jesus offered his way of dealing with the conflict that will inevitably creep into all communities, even communities of faith. On paper, Jesus’ way of dealing with conflict seems so easy, but in reality, it is difficult because it requires us to talk directly to each other and to be completely honest with each other.
After hearing this “conflict management” system of Jesus’, Peter realizes that if this new system is going to work then we will have to learn to forgive each other, too, and so he asks Jesus about forgiveness. In our Gospel text this coming Sunday, Matthew 18:21-35, Peters says, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?"
Seven times? That seems like an awful lot! I’ve heard of giving people second chances, but seven, that’s a bit ridiculous, don’t you think? Peter must have thought his idea ridiculous, but Jesus, being the radical he was, quickly said, no, not seven, Peter, but 77 times. What? Seventy-sever times? Who could possibly do that? Well, to be honest, the number 77 is not meant to be taken literally, so don’t worry, you don’t have to forgive someone who sins against you 77 times; what Jesus was really saying was, when it comes to forgiveness, we should forgive as many times as it takes. Our forgiveness ought to be limitless, just like God’s forgiveness is limitless for us. Now, that sounds difficult!
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We say these words every Sunday in worship, and many of us say these words every day. We say them, but ... are we really ready and willing to forgive others as much as we have been forgiven by God?
Forgiveness is a very radical concept in today’s world, especially a world that really prefers retributive justice. In our way of thinking, it is more important to get even or to punish than it is to say, I forgive you. But according to God, the best way for a community to remain healthy, or for any relationship to remain healthy, is to make sure forgiveness abounds in that community.
Peter’s problem, and our problem, is that we prefer to calculate our level of forgiveness and we want to limit our forgiveness, but God has offered us unconditional and unlimited forgiveness, and he reasonably asks us to do the same.
“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Forgiveness is not about us; it is first and foremost about what God has done for us. We have been forgiven, and so we forgive because we have been forgiven each time we ask.
Looking at forgiveness as Jesus looks at forgiveness means that forgiveness should be as much a part of our life as breathing. We cannot live without breathing and, to be honest, we cannot live without abounding forgiveness in our lives, either.
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Have a blessed week!
Shalom,
Pastor Dave