Prayer: Lord, when we wonder how many times to forgive, remind us the answer is don’t do the math. Amen
Reading: Matthew 18: 21-35 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: When someone is trying to make a point about the reality of a situation or bottom line of a decision, a common phrase is, “Do the math.” Peter asks, “How often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but I tell you, seventy-seven times.” (NRSV – or seventy times seven) It sounds like Jesus is giving a, “Do the math.” answer to the question. Okay, so is that I should forgive 77 times or 70 x 7 = 490 times? Either would be hard to keep track of. That’s the point. That’s the answer. In this case, “Do the math.” really means, “Don’t do the math.” Don’t keep track. Forgiveness is not limited to a certain number of times but rather as often as necessary. --Ruth Gates
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