77 Times!

 

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, 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.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But 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 would 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 would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

One day Peter goes to Jesus and asks him how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him? In older translations, before there was gender inclusive language, Peter asks how many times he should forgive his brother, and I wonder if might not have been a general statement, but one specifically directed at his real brother Andrew. After all, nobody hurts us as much as those who are close to us! In any event, he continues asking another question: as many as seven times?

Peter thought he was being magnanimous. Not without reason, I might add, because the traditional teaching was that you needed to forgive someone three times at most. The fourth time you could cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war. The rabbis used Scripture to validate this teaching by misinterpreting Amos. “This is what the Lord says, “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent.” “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent.” And it goes on. 

So Peter decides to double the number and add on one more for good measure. I imagine Jesus laughing. “No, not seven times, Peter. Seventy seven times.” And then he told Peter this story in today’s gospel, and I am not sure how much this impressed him, but I know for sure that another story did. It took place soon after the Last Supper, when Jesus went to Peter and said to him, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Tough guy that he was Peter told Jesus he was ready to follow him to prison and even death. And Jesus said, “Oh I tell you before the cock crows you would have denied me three times.” And we know that’s exactly what happened. Jesus was arrested and beaten and watching what happened to him, Peter’s courage failed him. He tried to hide himself, but people recognized him. He denied Jesus just as he had predicted and then the cock crowed. Scripture has these poignant words: Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter (Luke 22:61). 

I can’t even imagine what Peter felt like at that moment, but what he saw in Jesus’ eyes was not condemnation, or anger, or disappointment. It was only love. And Peter went out and wept, grateful for a forgiving God. And I believe that’s when he learned to forgive. And it is something we need to learn to do just like everything else. We can’t learn to forgive unless we have realized that we are forgiven. 

And far more than seventy-seven times.