#18 Top 40 New Testament Passages: On Forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35)

Then Peter came and said to him, “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. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”  (Matthew 18:21-35)

I heard it once said, "To hold resentment in your heart, and not forgive someone who has wronged you, is like eating rat poison and expecting the rat to die." Unforgiveness is unhealthy. It does nothing to bring about justice and only diminishes peace within.

Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount to forgive others from the heart, if we expect to experience forgiveness from God. (Matthew 6:14-15) The apostles remind the church to proclaim forgiveness and to continue forgiving others as Christ has forgiven you. (Luke 24:47; Acts 13:38; Colossians 3:13)

Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Col 3:13)

The Greek word generally translated as "forgive" is χαρίζομαι (charizomai) which is to do something pleasant or agreeable, to do a favor to, or gratify. Forgiveness is one sort of gratifying, graceful action. The same word was used when Jesus gave a blind man sight. (Luke  It was also pleasant bestowal. Forgiveness is life-giving and transformative, like a miraculous healing. That word appears 27 times in the New Testament.

Another Greek word translated as forgive is ἀφίημι (aphiēmi), which is the act of letting go. When Jesus healed the paralytic he announced forgiveness of his sins. (Mark 2:5) He let go of any debt the man may have had between him and God. That word appears 47 times in the New Testament.

Christianity is in the business of proclaiming forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. We announce forgiveness in prayers of confession and in our Eucharistic liturgies. "Hear the good news: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!"

In Matthew's gospel account, Peter asks Jesus how many time he should forgive someone who has wronged him. Jesus tells him 70 times 7 times. Another translation says 77 times. Does that means we are to keep a ledger of tally of the number of times we are to forgive? Or course not!

The number 7 means fullness or complete. The number 10 has to do with a complete work of God, for it is the sum of 3 (the number for God) and 7 (the number for completeness). So 70 x 7 does not equal 490, the limit to our forgiveness. Rather 70 x 7 equals the fullness of forgiveness, the complete work of forgiveness. 

What might be the complete work of forgiveness? Forgiveness intends to restore broken relationships. Forgiveness is the work of justice, to establish right relationships in society. In light of justice, forgiveness work is never done, until there is right relationships between all individuals, families, communities, nations and businesses. When there is peace resulting from right relationships for everyone, then the work of forgiveness is complete. 

In your own experience you may realize just how long it takes to restore a relationship through forgiveness. We find that resentment creeps back in, and we must forgive again. Shame also reminds us of how we have harmed others. We must forgive ourselves again and again. 

Consider Israel's witness tot he forgiveness of God.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

    nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

    so far he removes our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:10-12)

The prophet Jeremiah wrote of the future covenant under the messiah. 

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-35)

Jesus told a story of a servant who refused to forgive the debts of others, when he himself had been forgiven a great debt by his master. When his master heard about his servant's reprehensible behavior. He threw the servant in debtor's prison, where he was tortured until he paid his debts. That is the prison of unforgiveness and resentment. If we do not forgive others, chances are we don't forgive ourselves either. But when we are generous of heart, and prone to let go of a demand for justice, then we are likely kinder to ourselves.

Jesus was dining in the home of a Pharisee. A woman with a bad reputation came to Jesus and wept at his feet and tried his feet with her hair. She was in utter remorse for her sins and Jesus treated her graciously, but the Pharisee thought Jesus show know better than to let such a woman touch him. Jesus told the Pharisee,

"I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." (Luke 7:47)

It would seem that for one to love as freely as Jesus requires letting go of shame through the work of forgiveness. But holding onto guilt makes for a stone cold heart.

It takes an act of God, I suppose to forget painful things that others have done to us. Harmful words last as long, or longer, than physical pain. And so it will take your faith in God to do the full work of forgiveness. Continue to forgive, until you are freed from the prison of resentment, and enabled to freely love those who have wronged you.