7x77
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
Matthew 18:21-19:1
Forgiveness. You know I never really stopped and did the math on this one…it’s 539!! Woow
I know when I was younger and still now there was this tendency to feel superior when hearing about all of these blunders that the first disciples made. I remember thinking for this one, oh Peter he keeps track of how often you forgive people, you should know better.
And you know what when I was little I seriously don’t think I did that much. I forgave my little sister over and over again. But you know something starts happening. Someone never apologizes, never really seems to get better and things start to sit with you. I still struggle with the hurt from my younger years in school, only now to riding certain grudges.
Perhaps this aspect of forgiveness is one of the most difficult things. But how Father Mike illuminated what forgiveness is and isn’t helped set some misunderstandings straight. To forgive when the person isn’t sorry and doesn’t look like they are changing any time soon. We know innately that we are worth something and that we should not have been injured as such because of this. Trying to balance this justice with forgiving the person is tough. But how Father Mike illuminated what forgiveness is and isn’t helped set some misunderstandings straight.
To forgive someone is not to say “It’s ok…” That seemed to be my go to phrase to people and to myself. The thing is it isn’t. It should not have happen. Rather forgiveness is saying that despite the other hurting me I do not wish them unwell. I do not hold any bitterness towards that person.
Do you have to trust them? No. Do you have to be completely healed? No. These things take time to restore and God knows that. But in forgiveness we gain the peace of not allowing others’ action take away from our ability to love in all things. And truly too just like with the debtor, the mercy that show will be shown to us.
By no means is this the full spectrum of what forgiveness means but I think it’s a helpful start to aid in tackling some of our day to to day difficulties. I recommend looking at these resources for more information!!