Reflection on the readings for the 13th September, the 15th Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Genesis 50:15-21; Matthew 18:21-35
Today’s reflection is by Reader, Pete Gillions
Last week Paul spoke how words of scripture can be and have been misinterpreted and misused ,and how in Pauls own family the teaching at their Church divided the family. It led to Pauls own mother never seeing her own mother again. Not something that reflects the love of God in any shape or form. And sadly todays text has also been similarly misinterpreted and misused. The text reads:
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Here we are with what appears on the surface to be a simple instruction to always forgive. But that simplistic understanding has too often caused a lot of damage both to individuals and to communities:
· Women have been advised to return to abusive husbands, to forgive and submit to them. A shockingly bad idea.
· When a Church leaders turns out to be a rapist or power abuser and the survivor is brave enough to come forward and challenge then what can happen is forgiveness becomes weaponised. The survivor is accused of being angry and unforgiving and (how about this) damaging the witness of the Church.
· And Christians who have been wronged feeling guilty as they know that they have not forgiven the wrongdoer and feel that they always should do.
It is pretty obvious that this text, in fact all scripture, is never intended to be read in this simplistic way. Think of this: in one gospel passage we read that Jesus says “Peace I leave with you”. In another passage, Jesus says “I come not to bring peace but the sword”. These are not contradictory statements, rather statements that can only be understood in context. Scripture must not only be read in context but in the context of a wider understanding of what Jesus was trying to do. Often our lives don’t go as well as we hope. Perhaps that sense of discontent points to the notion that there is more to life than this, there’s a deeper reality where things are as they truly should be. It’s pretty impossible to prove or disprove, but we hear it whisper when we are moved by music, by beauty, by poetry, by love. Those transcendent moments when we are aware of something beyond our grasp, something that is perhaps even more real than what we see. As a young man I felt that ache and struggled to believe, for example, that those relatives who I loved and who had died - were they really entirely lost forever? Because if so, then even in the midst of life, death still casts a long shadow.
So when I heard a Christian who had lost her fiancé speak of a hope of reunion in future I began to seriously explore what this hope was based on. That hope is encapsulated in the words Jesus spoke to his bewildered followers as they shared a Passover meal together. The Passover meal was one of remembrance and anticipation.
Remembrance of God liberating the people of Israel from slavery – anticipation of the one who would fulfil years of longing and bring in God’s reign and rule. On the night of Passover, Jesus knows that He is facing His death and looks around at His disciples. And Jesus wonderfully connects that story of Israel to His story.
He goes on to ask His disciples to remember Him whenever they come together over a meal. What turns their reality on its head is when He then goes on to say not only is it to be act of remembrance of his death but also an act of anticipation of His return. Jesus says that they are to remember Him until He comes. And, as we read on in the Gospels, we see that's Christ death and resurrection that changes everything for the disciples. Not only for them 2000 years ago, but for each of us – their story can become our story. No longer does death still cast a long shado; our lives are not absurd and meaningless. The same Jesus who said on the cross “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” invites us not only to know that reality of forgiveness for ourselves, but to share it. But it is not a blanket forgiveness.
Twenty five years ago a huge number of people lost their lives in the attacks on 9-11. A response of “let's just forgive the perpetrators” is actually not consistent with the revelation of the God of love we see in scripture. There is teaching on justice as well as mercy. No one is ever beyond the mercy of God but that does not mean that discovering God’s mercy absolves someone from facing the consequences of their actions. In fact, in some, cases criminals who have come to faith have then gone on to confess to their misdeeds and seek to be accountable and try to recompense those they have wronged.
So what is Jesus pointing to when he answers Peters question “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” and says “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times? The mission of Christ was not limited to revealing God’s love to individuals, but rather to create a new alternative community. A community of people who share faith in Christ, people who are led by His Spirit and who are gathered together to reveal His love to those around them. A people who walk to the beat of a different drummer. As the Lord’s prayer puts it, a people who bring something of heaven to earth. The main problem is that within any group there will be differences of view. Which is why Jesus never said “By this all men will know they are my disciples, that they agree with each other” Instead Jesus said “By this all men will know they are my disciples, that they love each other” In the communion service, we share with each other the wonderful peace that Christ came to bring, and that means we must be prepared to both offer forgiveness and receive forgiveness. But that forgiveness is also tempered with justice, otherwise it becomes an abuser’s charter. It does not reflect God’s love to let abuse continue.
The very heart of the gospel is well expressed in words of the communion prayer “when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home”. Forgiveness is a wonderful gift offered to us, one we must be ready to share. To be a peacekeeper also means never to allow the precious gift of forgiveness to be manipulated and misused. Forgiveness and justice are complementary gifts.
Amen