This is another Jesus-Peter dialogue in the style of Bell and Maule, but prompted by the words of the Lord's Prayer and Jesus' story of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18: 21-35. I wrote it years ago and was surprised I had never posted it before. It was originally slated for posting a fortnight ago, when we were scheduled to use it in the morning service... but things went on a bit, so I pulled it both from the service and from the blog... We should be using it in this morning's service at 11am in Belfast South, so long as thing don't go on too long again! But if they do I hope the congregation will forgive me...
Peter: Eh... Jesus...?
Jesus: Yes, Peter?
Peter: How many times did
you say I should forgive my brother?
Jesus: Have you and
Andrew been fighting again, Peter?
Peter: Oh, you know what
he’s like... I know you want us to forgive each other, but I really am ready to
deck him... And I can’t remember, are we supposed to forgive others 77 times or
is it 70 times 7?
Jesus: Who’s counting?
Peter: I am… Remember… I
asked you how many times should I forgive him and you told me 77, or 70 times 7
or some other ridiculously huge number… And well, I’ve already forgiven him 76
times so I’m wondering if the next time is the last?
Jesus: How do you know
there will be a next time?
Peter: Oh, Don’t you
worry… There’ll be a next time… If I haven’t drowned him first…
Jesus: That’s hardly the
right attitude… I didn’t mean that you only had to forgive someone 77 times, or
70 times 7 times before hitting them with a baseball bat…
Peter: A what?
Jesus: Never mind…
Peter: So if it’s not
77, or 70 times 7, how many times is it then? 77 times 7?
Jesus: No… Think of a
number…
Peter: What?
Jesus: Just think of a
number…
Peter: OK.
Jesus: Double it.
Peter: Right.
Jesus: Square it.
Peter: Yes.
Jesus: Multiply it by 3
million, raise it to the power of 10 and then add the number you first thought
of.
Peter: I’m sorry Jesus…
I never was very good at maths…
Jesus: But you’re still
good at keeping score of the number of times someone has wronged you.
Peter: So you are saying
I should just forgive and forget.
Jesus: The words never
crossed my lips.
Peter: You can’t just
keep letting people off... Pretending that what they have done doesn’t matter.
Jesus: I didn’t say you
should… Forgiveness isn’t about saying that when others do something wrong it’s
OK... It’s about saying that what they have done is not OK but you will forgive
them anyway.
Peter: but how many
times?
Jesus: As many times as
you need to...
Peter: But knowing
Andrew that could be forever!
Jesus: And…
Peter: Well there have
to be limits Lord…
Jesus: Do there?
Peter: Yes… Otherwise
people can take advantage of you…
Jesus: OK then Peter… How
many times do you want to be forgiven?
Peter: What?
Jesus: How many times do
you want to be forgiven?
Peter: But this isn’t
about me?
Jesus: Is it not?
Peter: No… It’s about
Andrew…
Jesus: Well do you
remember that prayer I taught you?
Peter: Our Father and
all that stuff…
Jesus: Yes…
Peter: What about it?
Jesus: Well how do we ask
God to forgive us in that prayer?
Peter: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us?” And…?.
Jesus: What about that?
Peter: But this is nothing to do with
trespassing…
Jesus: Don’t try to wriggle out of it… You know
what it means…
Peter: OK… I know… But when do I have to stop
forgiving Andrew or anyone else…
Jesus: it’s simple…
Peter: When…
Jesus: When you want God to stop forgiving you…
Selah
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