1. The Rabbis taught
that people should forgive those who offered them – but only 3 times. Peter
trying to be especially generous, asked Jesus if seven, the perfect numbers was
enough times to forgive someone. But Jesus answered ‘seventy seven times’
meaning that we should not even keep track of how many times we forgive
someone. We should always forgive those who are truly repentant, no matter how
many times they ask.
2. Old Testament
references of number 7
With Peter’s offer to
forgive seven times may compare the following.
Gen 4: 15 – sevenfold
vengeance upon Cain’s murder
Lev 16 – there is
sevenfold sprinkling of blood for the sins of the people
Lev 26: 18 – I will
chastise you again sevenfold for your sins
Prov 24: 16 – a
righteousness man talks 7 times and rises again.
3. 10,000 Talents: Ten
thousand talents: A talent was a very high measure of money, worth between six
thousand and ten thousand denarii, when on denarius was a day’s pay (20:2), so
ten thousand talents is an astronomical sum (like a billion dollar for us), a
debt so large that the servant could never repay it. (See 18:26) This huge sum
must represent the total revenues of the province and the debtor must have been
a high and trusted official.
4. A hundred denarii:
Compared to the debt of ten thousand talents, this was a small sum that could
easily be paid back if the servant had showed patience. His treatment of the
fellow servant is contrasted with King’s merciful treatment.
5. At the cruel
treatment of the servant, the fellow servants were very sorry. They go and ask
for justice to the king. The sins of the others will cause real sorrow to the
true Christian; he/she will grieve over the hard-hearted and impenitent as the
Lord wept over Jerusalem.
Forgiveness is a virtue
nice to talk about but difficult to practice. We are talking about forgiving 70
times and odd, but we generally find difficult to forgive even once. With one
experience of betrayal we turn bitter and condemn even our close friends for
life time. Jesus did not only preach on forgiveness but practiced the virtue
throughout his life and the climax of his forgiveness was when he forgave his
executioners from the cross. Let us slowly start forgiving those who have hurt
us, be it our family members, relatives, friends or enemies. If God is ready to
forgive all our sins unconditionally, are we not obliged to forgive the little
offences our friends commit?
References
International
Critical Commentary
Anchor Bible
Series
Life Application
Bible
Sacra Pagina
Series
The Pulpit
Commentary
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