The eCrozier

Peter: How often should I forgive? As many as 7 times?
Jesus: Not 7 times, but, I tell you, 77 times

Peter asks a scorekeeping question. He wants to know the exact number of times he is to forgive. Jesus responds by saying that seven isn’t enough. In a sense he’s saying: “Peter, if you need to have an exact number to keep score, then how about 77, because your concern shouldn’t be with how many times you forgive. It should be for your soul and the soul of the other person. That’s why seven times can’t be enough. When you keep score of sins against you, you end up forgetting the purpose of forgiveness.”

The Bible is clear: God’s prime reason for sending Jesus to the cross wasn’t to even the score on sin, but to forgive us sinners. Forgiveness isn’t something we do because we happen to be exceptionally nice people. It’s not something we practice because we’re “soft on sin” or are too week to hold others to account for their sin. Forgiveness is something we practice because it’s God’s commandment. It isn’t just about good relationships with other people. It’s about our salvation.

The world, however, tells us that forgiveness only encourages sinful behavior. But the world’s standard doesn’t guide us. Besides, do we want God to relate to us by the world’s standard? Do we really want God keeping score of our sins, totaling them up, and then lowering the boom on us? I don’t want God keeping score of my sins, because I know the score: It’s God, 1 billion, Scott, zero. Las Vegas wouldn’t even publish the odds of God and me squaring off. If we’re honest with ourselves we have to admit that in our less faithful moments what we really want is for God to treat us according to the divine standard of forgiveness while we treat everyone else by the world’s standard.

As we approach the 10th Anniversary of the terrorist attack on our nation, we still grieve for those who were killed that day and for their families. And we wouldn’t be human if didn’t continue to be angry about that awful day. But to hold on to our anger and not forgive is not the way of Jesus. Yes, it was right to seek justice for the criminal planners and perpetrators, but what we’ve done is taken out our anger against an entire people.

Some whose loved ones were killed that day formed the group Peaceful Tomorrows. They’ve worked to break the cycle of violence caused by war and terrorism. They’ve also done this for the health of their souls for they know that hearts stained with resentment grow weak and bitter and confine us to self-made prisons of sin scorekeeping. Or, as Nelson Mandela said: “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

Forgiveness, as Jesus tells us, is about our spiritual health and the spiritual health of our communities. But Jesus tells us it is also about much more. It is about the very nature of God. Thus, forgiveness is about our salvation. For without our capacity to forgive, there is no salvation for us.

+Scott