Matthew 18:21-22
21 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?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
I enjoy having discussions about various topics with my students. A point I make before engaging in class discussions is that there is a distinct difference between a discussion or debate and an argument. A discussion or debate is approached with the mindset of, “Our views differ, and that’s okay; let’s find out how.” An argument is often approached as, “Your view is different and therefore wrong; you should be like me.” There have been many stories in the news lately about people giving in to the argument mindset. People commit acts of violence and respond with more arguments and violence. There are many times when we run across people who have wronged us in some way, and the standard response seems to be aggression and violence. It always distresses me to hear that “Christian” groups are leading the charge against one party or another.
According to Matthew, Jesus says we should not be leading a charge of judgment or criticism but rather extending a hand of forgiveness and peace. There are times when we should rise up and fight, but we, as a society, have difficulty identifying when those times are. Every situation requires immediate and drastic action. From shootings to looting to violent demonstrations, we are a society of aggression. We are quick to judge and slow to forgive because the notion of forgiveness is often seen as a weakness. Forgiveness does not mean that you excuse what happened or even allow it to happen again. It means you make a conscious choice to not seek revenge or payback. As Christians, Jesus is telling us in this passage to always be the voice of calm reason in the face of injustice. Be a peacemaker, not a peace-breaker.
Written by Dan Treharne
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