When I see the words, “Peter approached Jesus,” I brace myself for what’s next. I resist the urge to say, “Put your hand down before you embarrass yourself, Peter.” Let’s face it, he can make things awkward. Today he asks the question, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?” Argh.

Peter reminds me of the person in class or the office who asks a clarifying question about an assignment. “Let it slide,” the rest of us think. Maybe we won’t be held responsible if we maintain ignorance. I mean, if I forgive my brothers and sisters as many as seven times, it should be good enough, right? Jesus shakes his head and says, “not seven times but seventy-seven times.”  

I admit that at this point in this Gospel reading, I’m tempted to tune out. We hear it so many times, the words can hit as cliché or impossible. But it’s Lent, so I’ll stick with it. I’m glad I do, because in revisiting the familiar story Jesus tells to illustrate his point, a few details come into focus for me.

First, Jesus makes no distinction between the severity of the sin or its consequences. He instructs us to forgive full stop. I notice, too, that withholding forgiveness has consequences that extend beyond the sinner to affect his family and community. This speaks nothing of the internal damage we can inflict on ourselves by nurturing hurt and grudges.

Another detail that stands out to me is that Jesus does not ask that we accept or forget offense or injustice, turning ourselves into doormats. We can learn lessons, set boundaries, seek justice—all things that make forgiveness healing and empowering. It also occurs to me that we don’t need to wait for someone to extend an olive branch before offering forgiveness. More food for thought—and prayer.