Homilies on Matthew — Homily 61

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5

Matt. XVIII. 21.

Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus says unto him, I say not unto you, Until seven times, but, Until seventy times seven.

Peter supposed he was saying something great, wherefore also as aiming at greatness he added, Until seven times? For this thing, says he, which You have commanded to do, how often shall I do? For if he forever sins, but forever when reproved repents, how often do you command us to bear with this man? For with regard to that other who repents not, neither acknowledges his own faults, You have set a limit, by saying, Let him be to you as the heathen and the publican; but to this no longer so, but You have commanded to accept him.

How often then ought I to bear with him, being told his faults, and repenting? Is it enough for seven times?

What then says Christ, the good God, who is loving towards man? I say not unto you, until seven times, but, until seventy times seven, not setting a number here, but what is infinite and perpetual and forever. For even as ten thousand times signifies often, so here too. For by saying, The barren has borne seven, [[1 Samuel 2.5]] the Scripture means many. So that He has not limited the forgiveness by a number, but has declared that it is to be perpetual and forever.

This at least He indicated by the parable that is put after. For that He might not seem to any to enjoin great things and hard to bear, by saying, Seventy times seven, He added this parable, at once both leading them on to what He had said, and putting down him who was priding himself upon this, and showing the act was not grievous, but rather very easy. Therefore let me add, He brought forward His own love to man, that by the comparison, as He says, you might learn, that though thou forgive seventy times seven, though thou continually pardon your neighbor for absolutely all his sins, as a drop of water to an endless sea, so much, or rather much more, does your love to man come short in comparison of the boundless goodness of God, of which you stand in need, for that you are to be judged, and to give an account.

Wherefore also He went on to say, The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, he commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and his children, and all that he had.

Then after this man had enjoyed the benefit of mercy, he went out, and took by the throat his fellow-servant, which owed him an hundred pence; [[Matthew 18.28]] and having by these doings moved his lord, he caused him to cast him again into prison, until he should pay off the whole.

Do you see how great the difference between sins against man and against God? As great as between ten thousand talents, and a hundred pence, or rather even much more. And this arises both from the dif