Scripture: 

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.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Reflection:

Jesus’s disciples, Peter, probably thought he was being very generous in suggesting that forgiving someone who wronged him seven times was a good thing. Just think about how we react when someone does something to wrong us. They do it once, and you can find it in your heart to forgive them. They do it again….it’s getting harder to forgive. They do it a third time….can you forgive, or do you want nothing to do with them?! (Or even, if we’re honest, seek some sort of revenge?!) So Peter’s forgive seven times is very magnanimous! But Jesus’s response is: seventy-seven times. (Or in other versions, “seventy times seven times”.) The number actually isn’t important; the message from Jesus is a really tough one….keep forgiving them…again, and again, and again………..and again! Don’t stop.

Sometimes Jesus’ teaching is really tough. Whoever thinks being a Christian is easy, well, think again! (And again, and again, and again!)

Revd David