Peter approached Jesus and 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.

There are a couple really important ways to look at this scripture. The first thing I want to mention is the context of where this passage occurs. In the passage right before this, Jesus gives the power to “bind and loose” to his apostles. So in some ways Peter is asking an legalistic question here, almost asking, in your kingdom, what are the limits to our binding and loosing? The answer is either 77, or seventy sevens (490), depending on who’s translation you accept. But in either case it is a lot, but not infinite.

Jesus then clarifies with His parable about the forgiveness. John Bergsma has done some of the math for us here and has estimated that the wicked servant owed the master about $8.6 billion (converted to today’s dollars). This is a sum of money that is so large that, at a servants ability to make money, would take tens of thousands of years to pay back the debt. The other servant by comparison owed something like $8000. The point here is that only the master could forgive such and enormous amount, but his forgiveness is contingent on our doing the same for our fellow man, even though the amount is minuscule by comparison.

The analogy here is apropos when we consider the debt we owe to God because of our sin. The debt we owe is so large that we could never make it right in a thousand lifetimes. And yet God only asks that we humbly ask for forgiveness. But just as the lords prayer says “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us,” our forgiveness is contingent upon our forgiving those to whom owe us a much smaller debt.

Additionally, we also are told the consequences of our lack of humility, and our rejection of Gods forgiveness. If we reject Gods mercy and forgiveness, we are thrown into prison and given over to the torturers until the full debt is paid. And as we know you cant make much money in prison. So this is hell, where you wallow in the debt of your sin, and are perpetually tortured by the knowledge that you cannot ever pay it back on your own. And as such you will never be free of this suffering, and never be able to live in the masters glory and love.

So forgiveness, is the very essence of God’s personality. If we have free will, and we have the ability to reject Him, then forgiveness is the only way back into relationship with Him. Thus it is at the core of who He is, the essesnce of His love for us, and the purpose of His mission to save us. If you look back on your life, how many times have we transgressed against Him, and our fellow man, yet forgiveness, is at the core of how we are able to live in community and have civilized society.

I’m not sure who said it, but it is so true: “that no matter how many steps you take away from God, it is only one step back.” Just like the prodigal son, the Lord is sitting waiting, and looking to the horizon for your return, and when He sees you coming, He will come running like a madman to pour His love and forgiveness upon you. It is an amazing thing, God’s forgiveness, He wants to give you everything, but He is a gentleman, and will not force it upon you.

So the first move is yours, you must turn to Him first, but once you do, you will see the Father run to you like a mad man too. What is holding you back from making this first move? what are you holding onto that is more important than that love. This is the task of our lives, and we should not wait another day to figure it out.

Oh lord, help me today to find the strength to let go of the things that are anchoring me to this world, the humility to forgive those who have harmed me, and the courage to turn to the lord and His crazy love for me.