Sermon:

How many times…...? Lord, How often should I forgive?

Imagine someone wrong you, that is not hard to do, is it. — Imagine someone wrong you, not once, not twice, but over and over again. First, you forgive me. But then you start to wonder: How many times is enough? This was exactly the question Peter asked Jesus: “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? When is it enough?”

Peter thought he was generous. Seven was a number of completeness in Jewish tradition. But Jesus replied, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times”.

“Lord, how often should I forgive?”

The question of Peter echoes through all the readings this Sunday.

These past Sundays at church we have heard a lot about forgiveness. And is sure continue today. We are met by powerful readings from our Bible, that all preach forgiveness and remind us how forgiveness is that very breath of life that may mend broken relations, that give second or 77 new chances, that brings new life into a hallow life of despair – a forgiveness that brings new hope into the brokenness of human life.

The Old Testament tells these captivating stories that we can mirror ourselves in and hopefully recognize our human ways and find hope. One of these stories is about Jospeh and his brothers. Do you remember it?

How jealousy and bitterness can bring even brothers or maybe especially brothers to do harmful and hurtful things to the one that they should protect and love.

Imagine planning and plotting to kill your own brother – and then changing your mind and selling him into slavery instead. Hopefully it is hard for us even to imagine as we would never plot to kill, and we don’t have slaves anymore. But we still get jealous, angry and bitter, don’t we. Maybe especially when it concerns our siblings.

I have never plotted to kill my sisters or sell them to slavery – but I definitely recognize the anger, bitterness and jealousy that often can linger in even the best siblings – we are after all only humans.

So, imagine plotting to kill your annoying spoiled little brother, then in the last moment changing your mind to sell him into slavery instead.

Then imagine years later being caught in a disaster, a famine, forced to travel far to find food.

Imagine coming to the place that could help you, only to find the second in command is your very own little annoying brother whom you sold…. And now you are at his mercy in every possible way.

Imagine every shiver up your spine, every boulder in your stomach, every tear in your eye, every fear in your heart.

And then imagine…. After all these horrible minutes of imagining all the possible and impossible bloody and horrid retaliations that this little brother of yours could plan and plot - only to hear him say: Don’t be afraid. Have no fear. I will help you.”

Just imagine. Imagine every goosebumps on your arm, every weight of lifted from your chest, every impossible tear of relief, every giggle of joy, every weeping embrace and hug.

Just imagine.

Imagine heading home after all of that.

Imagine being home.

Imagine someone irritates and annoys you – because real life never stays happily ever after, does it?)

Imagine refusing to give that annoying little irritating fool any grace or excuse really, he should now better and do better.

Imagine not understanding the dissonance between what you have received and what you give or refuse to give to others.

How many times should I forgive, Peter asks. When peter asks how many times is to be forgiven…. Jesus insists that forgiving someone seven times is not adequate. The offending member must be forgiven 77 times. The number both seems staggering and even somewhat absurd…. As we do know, forgiveness, grace and compassion cannot be measured, put in a manual and dosed out.

But again, Jesus clearly tells us that forgiveness is to be an essential part of our Christian life: in our church, in your families, in our communal life.

The number seems staggering but communicates clearly that forgiveness is to be an essential part of Christian communal life.

And then Jesus tells a fine story about the wicked slave that forgets the dept that was him forgiven – and did not show compassion to his fellow man.

The story about Jospeh and his brothers – and the story about the wicked slave illustrates how seriously God takes forgiveness. Because the failure to forgive disrupts, distorts and ultimately degrades community. Forgiveness can restore balance and integrity.

Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We know that the Lord requires us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Jesus’ instructions to Peter give us a clear sense that forgiveness is in line with what is required of us. It is a crucial part of participating in God’s beloved community.

Imagine.

Just imagine.

Just believe that Gods Grace is endless, limitless and free.

Jesus wasn’t giving us a math problem. It is not a literal scorecard. He was not giving us a manual. He was giving us a heart problem. Forgiveness is not about keeping score, it’s about losing count. It is not about keeping count but keeping your heart clean.

So, how many times should we forgive? Seven? Seventy-seven? The real answer is as many times as it takes. Because forgiveness is not about keeping track, it’s about keeping our hearts free. The number is hyperbolic…. So high that it’s practically impossible to reach. Forgiveness should be unlimited and grace filled. Or at least that is how God’s forgiveness is: vast, endless, unlimited, free and given.

And thank God, we are embraced by forgiveness 7, 77, thousand and 11 times. We will forget, we will get annoyed, we will get angry…. But God will keep reaching out to us and giving us a new chance for a new beginning.