Reading 13
Seventy times seven
The reading
Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due.
So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
The companions
Psalm 103:8-12
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
The note
Peter asks for a number, and it is a generous one. Seven is far past what anyone would expect of him. The answer takes the counter away, which is the point. If you are still keeping the tally, you have not understood what happened to your own account.
Then the arithmetic. Ten thousand talents against a hundred denarii. The ratio is roughly six hundred thousand to one.
Not a large debt and a small debt. Two different orders of magnitude, built into the story so you cannot miss it.
The second debt is real, though. The man does owe him. Nobody in the parable says otherwise. He is within his rights and he is a monster, and both of those hold at once.
The ending is not gentle. The forgiveness is withdrawn. Whatever else this is, it is not the comfortable passage, and Jesus attaches it to the prayer he taught.
This week
Think about what you are still owed. An apology, money, credit for work somebody took. You are probably right about it, and being right is not the question. Write down what it would cost you to close the account and stop collecting.
Not to say it was fine. To stop billing for it. Then do that with the smallest item on your list this week, while the amounts are small enough to practice on.
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (public domain). The divine name is rendered “the LORD” in the Psalm.
This page is made for paper too: print it and the reading prints clean, ready for the table.