ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
July 8, 2021
Scripture: Matthew 18:21
Then Peter came and said to Jesus, “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…”
Thought for the Day: This coming Sunday we will focus on forgiveness. Jesus was concerned about how forgiveness had been taught and embodied, and so he not only presented an absurd expectation of the number of times one was to forgive, but then he told a story. It is interesting how the story did not necessarily clarify the absurd number Jesus put forth. Instead, Jesus provided a sort of decoding of the number by tying it back to the extraordinary graciousness of the king. Of course, that comes later in the story, and that’s when the story gets complicated. Jesus seemed to suggest how challenging it is to forgive, unless we first catch a glimpse from God’s vantage point. It is only when we finally understand and internalize the depth of God’s forgiveness for us that we are able appreciate the hypocrisy of not forgiving. Now let me add (and I do this often) – I am not suggesting forgiveness is always easy or can be done in the moments immediately after an injury. What I am suggesting is how fraudulent it is to receive forgiveness and then pretend others are not worthy of the same gift we have received.
Prayer: May the same forgiveness I have received from you, Gracious God, be revealed in my life. Let me never hoard what you have so generously given. Amen.
