The phrase “But seventy-seven times” comes from a teaching by Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18:21–22).
Context:
The disciple Simon Peter asked Jesus:
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
In Jewish teaching, forgiving three times was often considered sufficient. Peter thought seven would be generous.
Jesus replied:
“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Some translations say seventy times seven.)
What Jesus meant
Jesus was not giving a literal number (77 or 490). The point was:
- Forgiveness should be limitless.
- Followers should keep forgiving repeatedly, not keeping count.
- Mercy should reflect God’s mercy.
Immediately after saying this, Jesus tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, emphasizing that people who receive mercy should also show mercy.
Simple meaning
👉 Don’t keep a scorecard of forgiveness. Forgive again and again.
Interesting note
The number may also echo Book of Genesis 4:24, where Lamech says revenge will be taken “seventy-sevenfold.”
Jesus reverses that idea: instead of unlimited revenge, practice unlimited forgiveness.
If you want, I can also show:
- the full passage of Matthew 18:21–35, or
- how different Bible translations phrase “seventy-seven” vs. “seventy times seven.” 📖
No comments:
Post a Comment