Seventy Times Seven (Forgiveness V)

In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus tells his followers that they must forgive those who offend them “seventy times seven” times. In other words, “forgive as long as it takes.” Within the Judaism of Jesus’ day, forgiving an offense three times was considered sufficient; if someone offended you a fourth time, you didn’t have to forgive again. So it’s possible that when Peter asks, “Shall we forgive seven times?”, he’s thinking, Yeah, I’m vibing with Jesus. He thinks outside the box. I’ll bet he more than doubles what everyone else says is required. Perhaps Peter is patting himself on the back for “getting it.” (Or it could be that I’m just reading myself into Peter, because I can certainly see myself doing that.) 

But then Jesus pulls a Crazy Ivan: “No, not seven times, Peter.” Instead, Jesus takes it to a place that is, essentially, beyond counting. Seventy times seven.

I imagine the disciples standing there, scratching their heads, confused grimaces on their faces. “Say what? How is that possible?”

Indeed, how is it possible? Clearly, Jesus is working from a calculus that is not bound by our merely human limitations. He’s not thinking in terms that make sense to the men of his day (or ours, for that matter). And that’s just the point: Jesus is drawing upon a completely different energy to empower the type of forgiveness he has in mind. It’s a power that cannot be limited, and it makes forgiveness and all sorts of other miracles possible, even if finite minds cannot grasp it. By inviting us into this type of forgiveness, Jesus is inviting us to step into the Reign of God, where the spiritual power available completely transcends human willpower. 

In the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the kids with the golden tickets step with awe into the Chocolate Room, with its river of chocolate and meadows of candy. Mouths fall open, tongues wagging. It’s something completely new to the children’s experience, with resources beyond their imagination. It’s not unlike what Jesus does in Matthew 18: he’s pointing to the Reign of God as a reality with such great resources that crazy things become possible. However, to see this resource, we first have to step into forgiveness.

It’s interesting to note that the clearest biblical reference point to Matthew 18:22 is Genesis 4:23-24, where Cain, who has just killed his brother Abel, says, “The one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!” It would appear that in choosing his numbers, Jesus is referring back to the Bible’s first act of recorded violence, to Cain, the archetype of unforgiveness. In referencing this story, Jesus is simultaneously addressing the violence catalyzed by unforgiveness and calling us out of a life built on the pursuit of power. And even as he teaches on forgiveness, Jesus is fully aware that he is about to personally experience the full onslaught of human violence on the cross.

Since Jesus links unforgiveness to violence and murder, perhaps it’s helpful to picture forgiveness and unforgiveness in stark terms. Unforgiveness is like putting your hands around someone’s throat and strangling them. Forgiving is like releasing your hands. Jesus is sending Peter, his disciples, and everyone else who hears his words an urgent message that is literally a matter of life and death. To experience life, we must forgive. Jesus knows that in choking others, we actually choke our own spirit. 

Tragically, many people live their entire lives defined by an unwillingness to forgive. Jesus can’t coerce us or force us to do anything, but he knows that refusing to forgive will be death for us. So he commands us to forgive—and to forgive for as long as it takes—so that we can experience abundant life, first within us and then through us for the sake of others.

For all of these readings in one place, order my book 'Learning to Live and Love Like Jesus.'