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Key Notes from the reading & sermon:

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

During Advent we are concluding our study of the synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke). The word “synoptic” means these three gospels share a common perspective. We have noticed the way Matthew and Luke rely heavily on the earliest gospel, Mark, to tell their stories. Matthew and Luke also include stories they share in common but do not appear in Mark. This source is referred to by Biblical scholars as “Q”. “Q” is the first letter for the German word for source. “Q” is a source that compiled the sayings of Jesus. Today’s passage in Matthew is also found in Luke 17:4. The thrust of this teaching is the bold demand that love of God is lived with the broad and deep scope of forgiveness. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” is another way Jesus put it.

Questions for Reflection:

• This passage is part of a longer section that begins with the parable of the Good Shepherd in Matthew 18:12-14. Read this parable and connect its message to the teaching on forgiveness in verses 21-22.

• Matthew 18:15-20 applies the Good Shepherd’s desire for universal rescue and restoration to reconciliation in the living body of Christ, the church. How do these steps toward reconciliation refuse to minimize the divisive and hurtful consequences of sinful offense while placing high value on the protection and restoration of the community? Does verse 20 suggest the source that empowers the fulfillment of the demand for forgiveness?

• Read Matthew 11:18-19. How does this passage inform the way disciples are to relate to Gentiles and sinners?

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