Saturday 14 August 2021

How many? You must be joking!

 

When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive, Christ replied, "not seven times but seventy times seven!"

Of course, Jesus was exaggerating to make a point. He did not mean we should add the times we forgive someone; He meant we forgive time and time again, as often as is needed.

Then He tells this parable:

A king wished to settle accounts with his slaves ... 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." 

Out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 

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 should 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 should pay his entire debt. (Matthew 18:21-19:1)

Let's see what we can learn from this parable. Jesus makes several points which may have been understood by His listeners, but may have escaped us with the passage of time.

The first slave could not pay back 10,000 talents. That's a lot of money. The slave promised to pay the money back in time. His master does not extend the loan period, or reduce the debt, but he forgives the whole amount.

Can you imagine that? Would your bank do that to you if you can't repay a loan? 

Jesus makes the point that when we ask God for forgiveness, He forgives the whole sin. He does not hold it against us. He does not have a little black book in which He writes the time and date He forgave you a particular sin, and now, here you are, sinning the same sin again. Some people are incorrigible sinning the same sin again and again and expecting to be forgiven. And of course ... God does forgive. Provided we are genuinely repentant.

Note also the exaggeration regarding the second slave. He owed 100 denarii. Probably pennies or dimes. Yet his fellow slave would not forgive such a small amount.

Jesus here is saying that although God will forgive our many serious sins; He will not look kindly if we hold a grudge and do not forgive the most minor thing done to us.

"So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE: 

Do you still resent the fact that your husband did not take the trash bins out when you told him? 

Do you forgive your wife for forgetting to record the football game on TV?

Do you ... (add your own examples, real or not, yourself).

25 comments:

  1. ..."Do you forgive your wife for forgetting to record the football game on TV?" just do it yourself!!!

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    1. I meant when the person was at work ... just an example.

      God bless, Tom.

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  2. Another great illustration, Victor. I sometimes wonder "How does he think of these scenarios?" ... but I'm mighty glad you do.

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    1. Thank you so much, Mevely, for your kind words. I find it interesting that in this parable, instead of reducing the loan, or extending the payment period, the king decided to write it all off. Jesus is here saying that God forgives all our sins; with no conditions or other considerations to be taken into account. Provided we do the same to other people.

      God bless.

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  3. Dearest Victor,
    A good story and often people use a 'magnifier' to find the speck of others, what they did to them. Overlooking their own unforgiving problem.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  4. I'm not so good at forgiving, but I am learning how to just forget. Is there a difference?

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    1. Thank you for your question, JoeH. Here's how I see it.

      Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is an action. You decide, consciously, in your heart, that you will no longer seek revenge, retribution, or compensation from the one who hurt you, and you will bear them no ill-will or ill-feelings. This is very difficult. And it applies whether the other person has asked for forgiveness or not. You decide you have forgiven them and that's final.

      Of course, the memories will come back from time to time. Anything can trigger them, and you will remember how you were hurt by that person. You will resent the wrong done to you. Hate it even. That is natural. And this is when, again, consciously, you decide once more to forgive yet again.

      Difficult? You bet it is. But I find it gets better with practice.

      You forgive. You forget. You remember again. Then you forgive once more.

      I believe that when Jesus looks at the scars in His hands, feet and side, He remembers, and forgives again.

      We should try to do the same.

      God bless.

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    2. I do forgive my ex-wives...in fact I thank them for my good fortune in finding Mrs. C 13 years ago.

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    3. Perhaps Mrs C is your reward for forgiving your ex-wives!

      God bless you both.

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  5. Where would any of us be without the grace-filled gift of forgiveness? May we all be quick to forgive, even if we can't forget.
    Blessings, Victor!

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    1. Amen, Martha. Yes, we should forgive time and again, despite the memories of the hurt.

      God bless.

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    2. Until one day the memory no longer hurts, then you find the peace that comes from forgiving.

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  6. Sure glad Jesus has forgiven me!!!

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  7. I am so glad that God doesn't hold my hold my sins against me, or write them in his little black book. I go to confession, then try hard to amend my behavior, but find myself falling again and again into the same set of (fortunately venial) sins that I have to confess the next time.

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    1. It is our weakness that makes us sin again, Kathy. God understands that.

      God bless.

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  8. "God does forgive. Provided we are genuinely repentant."
    I would imagine those who repeatedly commit the same sin again and again and again are NOT genuinely repentant and should get a smack upside the head from the wings of one of God's angels, just to remind them.

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    1. Up to a point ... I agree, River. We need to consider whether these people are genuinely repentant when they confess or they are playing games with God. But then ... it is not up to us. It is up to God to decide.

      God bless.

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  9. I really needed this one, but I will not admit it. Just sayin'.
    At times the truth hurts.
    Love from over here
    Sherry & jack

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    1. We all need to forgive someone sometime, Jack. It can be so difficult.

      God bless you, my friend.

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  10. One good way to remind myself to forgive is to remember what i've had to confess. It ain't pretty, and it helps me see what they've done isn't horrible or unforgivable.

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