Peter’s imagined monologue:
“Boys, we know that the Master looks at things quite differently than we do. Sometimes I catch myself thinking He must be from a different planet because His perspective is usually totally different. And then I give my head a shake and say: “Of course; He is! He’s from Above.” I’ve been wondering what He would say about the limits of forgiveness. How often should we forgive someone who has wronged us? I’m sure He’d be more generous than the rabbis and their limit of three times. I’m going to surprise Him by framing the question in a way that will stretch the limits of anyone’s imagination; I’ll go beyond the traditional three and up the ante to seven. Forgiving the same person seven times for doing perhaps the same thing. Knowing that ‘seven’ represents completeness, I think He would be hard-pressed not to go along with me, even if I stretch it that far.”
Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22
Can you imagine Peter’s jaw drop as he did the math! 70 X 7= 490.
“Do you mean if my brother wronged me every day for 16 months – I should still forgive him every time? That’s more than a big stretch – that’s far-fetched to my way of thinking.”
Yes, Peter – that’s far-fetched no matter how we look at it, but we are reasoning from a human perspective. We’ve been wonderfully and graciously forgiven, but often we are poor forgivers ourselves.
Do you think Jesus meant that if it happened 491 times, a line should then be drawn? Probably not. Jesus was revealing to Peter how our thinking needs to change if we are going to reflect something of God’s forgiving heart – so unlike our own. No matter the number of times or the gravity of the wrong done – as long as there’s life, forgiveness is always available from God without any limits.
Throughout the Bible, God tells us that He forgives and not reluctantly with a scowl on His face. Nor does He half-heartedly forgive, choosing to cling to some remnant of bitterness over the wrong done.
He is always ready to forgive. (Psalm 86:5) And He delights to show loving-kindness and mercy. (Micah 7:18) And along the same lines, He abundantly pardons. (Isaiah 55:7) As far as clinging to a memory of your offence, God says: “I will remember them no more – forever!” (Jeremiah 31:34) That’s God for you! Only God. But thank God!
Jonah was bitter towards God. He could see no reason why God would ever show mercy of any kind to people who had committed such brutal offences against the children of Israel. So with his wagging finger and fire-tipped verbal arrows, he angrily levels his accusation against God by saying:
“…I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.” Jonah 4:2
Quite an accusation indeed!
What did Peter think when the rooster announced the arrival of dawn? “Three times I have horribly denied Him.” Did he recall seventy times seven? Bitterly weeping, unable to forgive himself, did he have even the faintest hope that he would ever hear from the lips of the One he really did love: “Dear Peter, I forgive you?” But on that Resurrection Day – it was a priority of the Risen Lord to single out Peter to tell him he was fully forgiven.
No matter how far we stretch our minds on the matter of forgiveness – God’s heart goes beyond the limits of our imagination – forgiving me and, yes, even forgiving the likes of you. As one who has been so wonderfully forgiven, am I one who readily forgives? Am I a forgiven forgiver? Is there someone in my life I need to forgive?
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ,
Peter Ramsay
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