Seventy times seven= four hundred and ninety

I have heard over and over again that as Christians we will be taken advantage of, we will be mocked and cursed, yet we are called act according to the cliché Sunday school motto and ‘turn the other cheek.’ All of that seems fairly manageable, although undoubtedly uncomfortable, in the context of walking away from a bully on the playground, or ignoring a rude driver on the highway, or even holding your tongue with a fellow classmate. However, in the context of some of the things we run into here, that black and white clarity is engulfed by huge areas of grey.

At English speaking Church last week we read the parable in Matthew 18 about the ungrateful servant who is forgiven his massive debt by his master yet fails to show mercy on his own debtor. Jesus uses this illustration in response to Peter’s question about the parameters of forgiveness. “I do not say to you seven times,” declares Christ, “but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:27). Our master, Jesus Christ, has extended the most hideously undeserving gift of mercy upon us so that we may, in turn, be unscrupulously forgiving towards others. Especially in light of some things that have happened here recently, my question for GOD is ‘what does it mean to forgive?’ I feel a little like the lawyer in Luke chapter 10 asking Christ to specifically define neighbor so that he can still follow Christ’s instructions to love your neighbor as yourself and inherit eternal life with the least amount of effort possible. I want to know exactly what Jesus means when he tells us to forgive someone up to 490 times. I want a black and white answer that allows me to easily determine when someone has just crossed the line. I want to know if forgiveness is an act only from the heart or if it must also be manifested in actions. Sadly we have had a couple people steal from the ministry recently: pots, pans, kitchen knives, rice and beans for the feeding center, phones… Is forgiveness pardoning them from within my heart and giving them another chance, putting them right back in the situation where they were tempted in the first place? Is that what it truly means to forgive seventy times seven? I am sure many of you know what it feels like to be lied to and used, taken advantage of. When that happens I am so far from being in a place of forgiveness. I am so far from wanting to ‘turn the other cheek’ when I know someone has been playing me for their own benefit. It is really tough stuff and I am unfortunately without any clear cut answer to it all. If I have learned anything about following Christ, though, it is that the answer to my questions is probably not the easy one. When the lawyer asked Jesus to define neighborhood I am pretty sure he was hoping to hear something along the lines of “your neighbor is anyone who lives within a three kilometer radius of your house.” That makes it easy; it is clear cut in black and white parameters. The only thing that I feel GOD is telling me is to “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44). To be honest, at home I probably would have had trouble thinking of people who “curse me” or “despitefully use me” but GOD has definitely given me the opportunity to try my hardest to put this in practice here. It is more challenging than I can explain and I am so thankful to all of you who constantly pray for me. Please continue! I love you all. GOD BLESS.

Becca