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9th
Week After Pentecost Á-? Tuesday
How many times should I forgive?
The difference between the commandment to forgive all times and the
priestÁ-?s responsibility and right to bind and loose.
Matthew 18:18-22; 19:1-2, 13-15 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any
thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven
times: but, Until seventy times seven. 1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished
these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond
Jordan; 2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. 13 Then were
there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and
the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not,
to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15 And he laid his hands on
them, and departed thence.
The following are notes about a portion of this Gospel.
The Lord had just finished telling all his disciples, that whatever they bound on earth
would be bound in heaven, and loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven, referring to
the awful responsibility of the priestly ministry, when Peter, apparently not completely
understanding, asked how often he should forgive when he himself was personally
wronged.
Here are two different things, and priest, mark well the difference!
In the one, the priest has a power and responsibility before God to hear confessions and
mandate that God's forgiveness be given, or in the terrible case of the unrepentant, that
such forgiveness not be given. This is referring to a person's personal sins against God
only, for every sin, whatever it is and to whomever it is directed, is always against God.
Regarding sins against himself, such as when one person wrongs him in some way, the
priest has NO AUTHORITY, but only a commandment: to forgive "seventy times seven",
that is, to ALWAYS forgive. We all share in this commandment.
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will