How Many Times                              Matthew 18:21-35

Last week was not a feel-good message. It was an Old Testament warning to believers. I said then that the Bible tells us what goes against God’s plan. But we need to know that though the Bible tells us what God thinks is wrong, it also tells us what God wants us to do when we witness these things; love your neighbor as you love yourself. And this involves gently, but firmly, telling others what God says, and what God has done for you. Share your testimony and never tire of doing good.

Today we’re again looking at one of Jesus’ parables. I find this one interesting because it is not being told to a Pharisee, or to a crowd, it’s being told to one of Jesus’ disciples. Therefore, it is important to Jesus’ modern disciples.

Jesus had just finished telling his disciples to avoid temptation, but also to understand everyone faces temptation, and they should forgive those who submit to it. And now comes Peter. Peter, he tries so hard and so often seems to just wide of the mark. This is why I like Peter so much, he’s me, he’s all believers.

The messages from Jesus are the ideals that God wants us to be. And through Peter, God shows us what happens when we fall short of his ideals; he loves us, he teaches us, and like with Peter, God knows we are a work in progress.

Verse 21, “Then Peter asked, ‘Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?’” Knowing Peter as we do, I don’t think he’s thinking in the grand scheme of mankind. I’m certain he has someone specific in mind, someone who’s wronged him repeatedly. Maybe a relation that asks for money, maybe a fish monger who doesn’t pay the best price for Peter’s catch? We’ll never know, but Jesus’ reply must certainly have surprised him. Verse 22, “Jesus said to him, ‘As many as seven times seventy times.’”

Some Bibles say seven times seven, one of my Bibles says seven times seventy-seven times. The number is not meant to be an absolute, It’s meant as a way of saying “as many times as someone sins against you, you forgive them.”

This is where I want to stop and explain a little. Biblical forgiveness does not mean you just forget what happened. It does not mean what was done to you was not hurtful. It does not mean your feelings anger and betrayal are wrong. And it most certainly does not mean you allow yourself to go back to an abusive or hostile situation. It means you are not going to extend emotional or spiritual energy over it. It does mean that you are inviting God to heal and restore you. The act of forgiving brings peace and restoration to you. You may never talk to the person again, but you will be at peace. I saw the person who sold my son the drugs that killed him, with God’s help I forgive. I don’t want to see him again, but I don’t distress myself by thinking of him either.

But back to Peter. I’m sure at this point he’s got a look of disbelief on his face. He’s probably been all set to go to the one he’s thinking of to tell him, “Away with you, never come here again, the Rabbi Jesus said I no longer have to forgive you, you hurt me too many times.”

In this parable Jesus is telling Peter, and all of us, God’s ideal; forgive every time. I fall short of this ideal. I get my feelings hurt. I feel betrayed. I don’t want to forgive. I want to feel angry. There is one person it took me almost twenty years of anger before I said enough.

To Peter, God’s ideal must have seemed unfathomable. To Peter, and anyone who thinks the same, Jesus goes on to illuminate God’s mind. Verse 23, “Therefore, the kingdom of God may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.”

God is the king; we are the servants. Like the king doesn’t ignore or dismiss his servants but wants to work with them to settle things between them, God doesn’t dismiss or ignore us because we make mistakes. He wants to work with us to redeem us from those mistakes.

Verse 24, “…one (servant) was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.” It’s been estimated that it would take this servant over 100 years to pay this, basically, it could never be paid back. Here we are for can any of us ever pay God for our sins. We don’t even realize what all our sins are.

Verse 25, “And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold…and all that he had and payment to be made.” God wants to settle with you. But the price of our sins is beyond our ability to pay. And as a perfect God, he must punish us. But as a holy God, there must be mercy and compassion on his part.

Verse 26, “The servant implored him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’” This servant reached out to his master. We must reach out to God and say to him, “I want to be with you. I accept Jesus in my life. Have patience with me and I will learn to live as you say.”

Verse 27, “And out of pity, the master forgave him the debt.” When we go to God in repentance, he will forgive our sins; past, present, and future, all out of love and mercy.

But Jesus’ lesson goes on. We have been forgiven a debt to God that we could not even begin to pay, Jesus tells us this should change our hearts. This servant met another who owed him a small debt. Did he forgive as he was forgiven? No, he physically assaulted the man and had him put in jail. Compared to a lifetime of sins that I have been forgiven, what amount of debt could anyone owe me? Our reading says another’s debt to us is miniscule compared to what we owed God.

Verse 32, “The master summoned him and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?’”

The underlying theme here is the first servant begged forgiveness because he was afraid, he was only looking out to protect himself. This man never saw the forgiveness he was shown as having anything to do with those around him. He never fathomed to let the master’s mercy affect his heart. Jesus is telling all mankind; you have been forgiven so much more than you can envision. Because of this, you need to let this realization change your heart. When it does, we will come to know, as Peter is beginning to see, that the sins committed against us, are small and few compared to our sins against God. And because of this, we should be able to forgive others.

Verse 34, “And in anger, his master delivered him to the jailers.” This servant was punished because he begged forgiveness only to save his own skin. He was punished because he left the lessons of his master’s mercy in the dust at his feet. When we approach God in repentance, we must do so with honest intentions and a heart open to his lesson of grace and mercy. When we ask God for forgiveness, we must allow his holy grace in our hearts, and our hearts must offer our human grace and mercy to others.

Jesus tells Peter to forgive another every time he is sinned against. How can we live up to this? We do by understanding how much we have been forgiven. Remember, forgiveness frees you from emotional and spiritual pain, but forgiveness never means you put yourself back in an abusive or dangerous relationship.

God’s grace and mercy are yours,

Give your grace and mercy to others.

Amen.