In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us about forgiveness and fraternal correction. He lays out a clear and precise procedure: “If your brother or sister sins again you…”. The first step is to speak to them “alone,” then before two or three witnesses, and if they still refuse to listen to tell the church. Finally, if they refuse to listen even to the Church, “treat them as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” We need to be careful that we do not misinterpret Jesus’ teaching. This is not his final word on forgiveness, we need to keep reading.
In the very next section Jesus teaches that forgiveness must be limitless. Peter asks a question most of us have probably asked, “how many times?”
“Then Peter approaching asked him, ‘Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.’” (Matthew 18:21-22).
Peter thinks he is being generous when he offers to forgive seven times. Jesus tells him that seven times is too limited. When Jesus tells Peter to forgive seventy-seven times, he is not setting a new limit. Seven is a number of perfection or fullness. Seventy-seven times would mean unlimited forgiveness.
Jesus continues his teaching on forgiveness with the “Parable of the Wicked Servant” (Matthew 18:21-35). His master calls this servant wicked because he failed to forgive a fellow servant a pittance after this master had already forgiven his enormous debt: “You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” (Matthew 18:32-33). Jesus then teaches us: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother or sister from his heart.”
Matthew views this chapter of his Gospel as instruction for the church community. While fraternal correction, justice and discipline, is needed at time, even more important is mercy and forgiveness. So, both inside and outside the church we are called to forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times. We are challenged to show unlimited forgiveness.
Image: “Jesus at the Last Supper (JP Davis)” by elisabeth_callahan is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.