Once upon a time there was a very wealthy king who wanted to settle his accounts with his servants. So he sent for one of his servants who was greatly indebted to him, owing him 10,000 talents (equivalent roughly to a peasant's wages for 1,000,000,000 days). The servant could not pay the debt, so the king justly declared that he and all his family should be sold to make up for the payment. But the servant fell on his knees and with all of his heart, begged his master not to punish him. So the king had pity on his servant and mercifully declared the debt forgiven. The servant left with a happy heart. After leaving the king's presence, he headed straight for his friend's house, where he stormed in, seized his friend and began to choke him, demanding payment for a debt. His happiness was short-lived, for his friend owed him a debt, but a debt of just 100 denarii (about three months wages). His friend could not pay it, and falling down on his knees, he begged for mercy, promising to pay later. But the servant refused, and threw his friend in jail.
Now a few of the king's other servants found out about this and were, unsurprisingly, troubled. So they approached the king and told him what had happened. The king was furious and called the servant to his presence. "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" Then, enraged, he threw the servant in jail until his debt was paid.
This was a story told by Jesus in Matthew 18:21-35, right after Peter asked Him a question: "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" (Matt. 18:21) Peter thought his question was pretty good, and his suggested answer even better! "How many chances for forgiveness should I give people? As many as seven?" But Jesus' answer was radically different: "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." (emphasis mine) And then He told the above story to illustrate His point.
Forgiveness was something Jesus was trying to hit home hard. By saying seventy-seven times, He was emphasizing that forgiveness was not something as shallow to just be done one or two or three or seven times, but as many as seventy-seven ... or more. Jesus was not saying that you only had to give those around you seventy-seven chances and then you could stop forgiving them! No, that's missing the point. He was simply pointing out that as many times as we think we ought to forgive someone, we really ought to forgive them way more.
Jesus finished His story with this, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." (Matt. 18:35) Wow. If we don't choose to extend forgiveness to others, God will not extend forgiveness to us. That's pretty harsh. But it sure makes me want to forgive others a lot more!
It's easy to take offense and hold grudges but harder to forgive. But as Jesus tells us, we must forgive, giving people as many chances as they need. Because if we don't, the consequences are too great - God will not forgive us.
Now a few of the king's other servants found out about this and were, unsurprisingly, troubled. So they approached the king and told him what had happened. The king was furious and called the servant to his presence. "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" Then, enraged, he threw the servant in jail until his debt was paid.
This was a story told by Jesus in Matthew 18:21-35, right after Peter asked Him a question: "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" (Matt. 18:21) Peter thought his question was pretty good, and his suggested answer even better! "How many chances for forgiveness should I give people? As many as seven?" But Jesus' answer was radically different: "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." (emphasis mine) And then He told the above story to illustrate His point.
Forgiveness was something Jesus was trying to hit home hard. By saying seventy-seven times, He was emphasizing that forgiveness was not something as shallow to just be done one or two or three or seven times, but as many as seventy-seven ... or more. Jesus was not saying that you only had to give those around you seventy-seven chances and then you could stop forgiving them! No, that's missing the point. He was simply pointing out that as many times as we think we ought to forgive someone, we really ought to forgive them way more.
Jesus finished His story with this, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." (Matt. 18:35) Wow. If we don't choose to extend forgiveness to others, God will not extend forgiveness to us. That's pretty harsh. But it sure makes me want to forgive others a lot more!
It's easy to take offense and hold grudges but harder to forgive. But as Jesus tells us, we must forgive, giving people as many chances as they need. Because if we don't, the consequences are too great - God will not forgive us.