AUGUST 13, 2026 DEACON MIKE WALSH
Today in our Gospel, we have perhaps one of the most difficult teachings of Jesus. And it’s actually a teaching that is throughout his entire ministry. And it has to do with forgiveness.
I was struck from a line from Ezekiel, a line in the very first reading when he says: “Prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage.” This imagery of baggage. And if you think about it, we all carry baggage in our lives. Some of it, hidden baggage. Old hurts, broken relationships, resentments, disappointments. And even guilt, sometimes heavy guilt, for those things that God has already forgiven.
As we go through life, these burdens become very heavy. And that is one of the contexts of today’s story. So Peter, as he often does, he comes in and he asks Jesus this question, thinking he already knows the answer. And he says: “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?”
You see, rabbis at the time often taught that you should forgive three times. So Peter thought: “I’ll double that and I’ll add one, and Jesus will be very impressed with my answer.” But Jesus surprises not only Peter, but everyone who’s listening when he says: “No, not seven times, but 77 times.”
The number is actually irrelevant, because what Jesus is teaching us when it comes to forgiveness: simply stop counting. See, forgiveness is the very language of Jesus’ ministry. Look at the stories. He teaches us the Lord’s Prayer. The Prodigal Son. The woman caught in adultery. The Good Shepherd, where he goes out looking for that one lost sheep.
And then, what I think is the most powerful teaching on forgiveness in all of the New Testament, it takes place when Jesus is slammed into the ground, on the cross, after having been tortured both physically and mentally by those around him, and looks up to his Father, and what does he say? You know what he says. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
One of my favourite writers on this particular subject is the late Dr. David Stoop. He is a Christian psychologist and he wrote about forgiveness. His book is called Forgiving the Unforgivable. It’s since be retitled to this: Forgiving What We’ll Never Forget.
Here’s a quote from Dr. Stoop: “Forgiving other people does not in any way benefit or let them off the hook. We are the ones who are freed. From the expectation of restitution for the wrongs done to us.” Forgiveness sets us free. We stop carrying that excess baggage that just weighs us down.
In his book, he actually talks about three possible paths you can take when someone has hurt you, especially hurt you deeply. Remember, “Forgiving What is Unforgiveable.” He says there’s three choices we can make.
The first is denial. That is we deny that we’ve even been hurt, or worse, we blame ourselves. We shut down emotionally and we can become depressed. Then there’s the path of bitterness. This is where we obsess over the offence, seek payment and revenge, and in the end we ourselves become bitter and we withdraw.
Then there’s the path of forgiveness. This is where we place the blame appropriately, and something that I never heard anybody else talk about, he says: “We grieve the loss.” Grieving something that has been done to us, then we choose to forgive, as Jesus says: “From our heart.”
And we consider reconciliation, but we have to learn to trust again. And he makes an extremely important distinction. Forgiveness does not equal reconciliation. Forgiveness involves one person, it involves me, it involves you. My decision made with the grace of God.
Where reconciliation always requires or involves another person. It requires repentance on that person’s part, honesty, we need to rebuild trust, and you know, reconciliation is not always possible. And it’s not always wise. There is no command to enter into a recurring toxic relationship with someone. Healthy boundaries may be necessary.
We see that in the New Testament, the difference between Peter and Judas. Peter hurts Jesus deeply when he denies him three times, but he comes back and he asks for mercy, and he is granted that on the shore at the resurrection when Jesus says: “Peter, do you love me?” three times, and Peter says: “Yes, I do.” “Go feed my sheep.”
But Judas does not do that. He betrays Jesus, he becomes overcome with regret, and he never returns and asks for mercy. And he ends up killing himself.
You know, in a few moments’ time I’m going to invite you to go in peace. And I’m going to ask you to go about your day, and to think about one simple question: What baggage is Jesus asking me to leave behind today?
Is it someone I need to forgive? Is it someone that I need to ask for forgiveness from? And then leave that baggage at the foot of the cross. Carry instead the peace that comes from praying, and living the words that we are all going to say here in just one minute.
“Father forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” And then we can truly go in peace, glorifying the Lord by our lives, not weighed down by yesterday’s baggage, but set free by the limitless mercy of God. Amen.
