Love and Forgiveness Matthew 18.21-35
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked him: Lord, if my brother is guilty towards me, how many times must I forgive him? Shall I go up to seven times? 22 No, "replied Jesus, I'm not saying go up to seven times, but seventy times seven.
23 Indeed, it is the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him sixty million pieces of silver. 25 As the servant had nothing to repay what he owed his master gave orders to sell as a slave with his wife and children and all his property to repay its debt.
26 The servant threw himself at the feet of the king and prostrated themselves before him, begged him: "Be patient with me, give me a deadline and I will repay you everything. " 27 had compassion for him, his master sent him free, after having given him all his debt. 28 Just out, the servant found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the throat, shouting, "Pay me what you owe me!"
29 His companion threw herself at his feet and begged him: "Be patient with me," said he gives me a deadline and I'll pay you back. " But the other 30 would not listen. Much more: he went to throw him in jail until he has paid everything he owed.
31 other fellow servants who witnessed what had happened, were deeply saddened and bring the whole thing went to their master. 32 Then it was call the servant who had done so: "You are really disgusting! he said. Everything that you owed me, you, my servant, I had given you because you begged me. 33 Ought you not, you too, have pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on thee? " 34 And in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until it has repaid all its debt.
35 is how my heavenly Father will treat you as if each of you do not forgive from the heart to his brother.
Background:
Rabbinic Thought said that a man should forgive his neighbor three times a fault. So Pierre was very generous in offering to forgive seven times. Moreover, the digit 7 represents in the Bible the whole (hence God's command to Noah to take seven animals of each species, and that Noah did that take 2). When Christ asked him to forgive seventy-seven times, not to give an exact figure but stressed that forgiveness should be unlimited!
As for selling someone and his family, he is the law of God (Ex.21: 2 and 25:39) to allow indebted people to repay their debts.
Observation / Interpretation:
- Are there elements that offend you in this text?
- v22: it reminds you there is something? (Gen.4: 24).
- What are the debts of verses 24 and 28? Who is the king? Servants?
- What motivates forgiveness? (V27, v32).
- What is the relationship between forgiveness that we show (or not) to others and that God shows us? (V35). Compare with Pv.21: 13, Mt 6:12.
Application :
- When is it most difficult for you to forgive? The easiest?
- Are there people you need to completely forgive or ask forgiveness? What is holding you back?
- Have you ever experienced a process of forgiveness through? Can you share how that happened? What advice would you give to someone who tells you he can not forgive?
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