Debt!

A Series on Lent: Peter’s Journey
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mt 18:21-35

[Lent is a time of reflection. During Lent, we will be looking at Peter’s Journey to learn how his reflections on his own life, his culture, his religion and his savior changed his life forever.]

  

You go into debt to buy your home, buy your car, send your children to college, remodel your home, or when you go on a once in a lifetime vacation. At one time or another, my wife and I have been indebted in all of these examples. But I don’t ever remember anyone forgiving one of my debts.

 

Peter asked Jesus “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus proceeded to tell Peter a story about debt. Although the parable isn’t really about money, it’s a good metaphor that applies to Peter’s question. Here’s how Jesus responded.

 

²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

²³ “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. ²⁴ In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. ²⁵ He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.    NLT

 

The practice of “debt slavery” was one that Peter would have been familiar with. Desperately poor people trying to work off their indebtedness to Gentile landowners often became “debt slaves”. In fact, most often they would fall further behind in debt just like the servant in the story.

 

Despite the unrealistic size of the servant’s debt, the king forgave him. Although this was an example of hyperbole, Peter would have understood. The point being that Peter had been forgiven much by God and because of that, he was expected to forgive others; no matter how many times.

 

We don’t know what prompted Peter to ask his question. It sounds like he may have been trying to find the path of least resistance. Or, earlier in Matthew 18, we read that the disciples had argued about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Maybe Peter was holding a grudge towards someone he’d argued with.

 

Whatever the situation, like Peter, we have been forgiven our debt. A debt so big that there’s no way we could ever repay it. It’s millions! And yet, our heavenly Father did just that through the death and resurrection of His one and only son.

 

Just like Jesus taught his disciples to pray, now it’s our turn to forgive others as we have been forgiven.

 

¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6 NIV

 

But, like Peter, sometimes it’s not easy.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams