Learning Forgiveness

If you could sum up the message of the bible in just a few key words, one of those key words would have to include the word forgiveness. Not only the forgiveness that God bestows upon us, but also the forgiveness that we are to show others. And while there have been countless sermons that I have heard over the years on the subject of forgiveness, I have heard something recently that expounded on a parable Jesus told  that I have never heard before, which completely changes the way I understand forgiveness. And while I do not have any followers of my blog that I know about, I am even writing this for my own future self as a reminder of what I have learned. 

I first heard this explained while listening to the BEMA podcast I have mentioned in a previous post. I  will not be brief enough to write it all in one post, and have to continue it in another part two, but lets begin and see where it leads. 

Matthew 18:21 "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" 

There we have it. Peter bringing up the subject of forgiveness to Jesus. Perhaps Peter is referring to his actual brother Andrew, (brothers do have a tendency to get on each other's nerve). And so it is considered why Peter said seven times to forgive. 

One of the main things I have learned from listening to the podcast, is how well Jews knew their bible, what we call the Old Testament, and what they called the Tanakh which includes the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim. That is the Books of Moses, the prophets, and the writings. From the time a Jew is 5 yrs old, they begin to memorize the Torah, and I mean memorize it! There are stages to their schooling which leads some of the more advanced students to study under a rabbi. The less academic students would then go back to their family's trade. 

All of that to say that perhaps when Peter asked if he should forgive seven times, he might be referencing a Scripture in Amos where the Lord repeatedly says " for three transgressions, and not for four will I turn away punishment.." Perhaps Peter also knowing the significance of numbers in Scripture to say that to forgive seven times is being very generous showing a growing heart of love and compassion.... and like us all, we reach our breaking point!

Jesus then, ever being the rabbi, and teaching like rabbi's always teach; instead of giving Peter the answer, rather gives him a shovel and shows him where to dig. Lets go back to Matthew 18:20 "Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." And here is where it gets a little tricky if unlike the Jews we don't know our bibles! In Genesis 4:23-24: "Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” And so, what was Jesus actually trying to teach Peter, (and us) with this parable? Was Jesus just trying to tell Peter that he has to forgive seventy times seven, or 490 times, and then perhaps after that he can take revenge? Up until now that is what I have been taught, with the idea that after forgiving that many times, you would stop keeping count, and just get used to forgiving, which is all well and good, however there is more to the lesson rabbi Jesus is teaching, and it doesn't stop there, however we will stop this post here and continue in the next post as we keep learning more about Learning Forgiveness.