Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?

 Then Peter came to Him and said, "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.

"Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.  The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.  But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'  So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'  And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.  So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.  Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant!  I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.  Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'  And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.  So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." 

- Matthew 18:21-35

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.  Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

Then Peter came to Him and said, "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."   Seven is a number of completion or fullness.  Seventy times seven is symbolic of an unlimited amount.

 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.  The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.  But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'  So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'  And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt."   Ten thousand talents (the amount owed to the king) is an impossible sum, my study bible says.  It's more than a laborer could earn in several lifetimes.  By contrast, a hundred denarii (owed to the debtor servant) is a significant amount from a worldly perspective -- it's about three months' wages.  But it's a pittance compared to the debt that this servant owed the king.  The parable, of course, is a parable about the mercy shown to us by God.  God not only stays the punishment we deserve, but forgives the entire impossible debt as well.  As God forgives us, we in turn are required to grant the gift of forgiveness to others.

"So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.  Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant!  I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.  Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'  And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.  So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."  My study bible cites a patristic interpretation to the punishment described here.  It's seen in spiritual terms:  the man represents the soul, the wife represents the body, and the children represent a person's deeds.  Therefore, the body and the deeds are given over to slavery (that is, to Satan), so that the soul might possibly be saved -- see 1 Corinthians 5:5.

Forgiveness is an essential component of Christian faith.  We remember that Christ gives this parable in the midst of advising the disciples what type of leadership He wants in His Church, and after the second time He's warned the disciples the He will be killed, and rise on the third day.  He's just given a system for mutual correction in the Church (see yesterday's reading, above), and so Peter asks how many times forgiveness must be extended.  In this model of correction, forgiveness is extended when a sin has been acknowledged or "heard," in Jesus' teaching.  That is, if the person has listened to the complaint.  But forgiveness is a complex problem.  Jesus is, of course, giving instruction for those within the Church, as we understand this talk in the context of the teaching on mutual correction.  But there are deeper aspects to forgiveness.   The word for forgive, in the Greek, literally means to "let go."   Like the debts in the parable, it is something which one can demand repayment for, or forgive, let go.  Punishment for any type of debt is payment.  Therefore, in Jesus' model, forgiveness implies not seeking vengeance, redress, repayment for a type of boundary violation (implied in the word "trespass").  Within the Church, Jesus' system teaches, even one who will not listen or hear even the whole Church will lack standing -- but we must note that vengeance is still left out of this equation.  This is the form that "letting go" takes, that a failure to acknowledge sin implies an unwillingness to correct personal behavior.  But the decision to "repay" or "punish" isn't ours; that is up to God.  Therefore, under any and all circumstances, we may forgive or let go.  Each of us has some form of old hurt, an unacknowledged trespass.  It is important, regardless of whatever else happens in the matter, that we give up vengeance or pure justice to God.  There are all kinds of sins that can't literally be paid back or recompensed.  A terrible loss, such as the life of a loved one, can't really be recompensed regardless of punishment or payment in liability.  The pain of such a trespass can't be ameliorated fully through even the most just human legal system; there are too many layers of loss.  Forgiveness becomes important because without it, we lose.  We lose our souls, we lose our well-being, we lose our peace.  Forgiveness, ultimately, is letting go to God Who is the ultimate Judge.  There are all kinds of problems of justice in the world, but ultimate and true justice is in God's hands.  If we wish to experience the grace of our relatedness with God, then we need "give up" the things that stand in the way of true righteousness.  We need to recognize the infinite ways in which we are forgiven for what we fail to understand or acknowledge, and live within this system of grace so that it is also at work in us.  To carry a great debt can be a terrible burden emotionally, psychologically, spiritually.  Forgiveness is also our answer for that; it is a kind of contract, as illustrated in the parable, between ourselves and God.  In Romans 12:18, St. Paul reminds us, citing a passage from Deuteronomy, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."  Forgiveness and acknowledgement of transgression go hand in hand.  But forgiveness as contract between ourselves and God is wisdom, and it is for the restoration and health of our own lives, on so many levels.