Every game has rules. Whether it is a sporting event, or a simple board game, there are predetermined things players can and cannot do. In baseball, for instance, you cannot have a fourth strike. In football, you must play within the sidelines. In the game of Scrabble, you cannot make up words. In chess, you cannot move the pieces any way you want to, but only according to the rules of the game.
These rules mark the limits of play. They set the boundaries that keep the game from simply being an exercise in chaotic activity. Rules keep the game moving toward a proper conclusion. They are essential in governing how the game is played and in determining who wins and loses the game.
Of course, not all games are for recreation or entertainment. Sometimes we make a game of life. Life is not a game, but occasionally we treat it as if it were. In the passage before us today, there is some hint that Peter is thinking of one aspect of life as a game. And he wants to know how to play.
Peter has been paying attention to Jesus’ teaching and his actions. He knows that forgiveness is a big thing for Jesus. But Peter is also a realist. He knows that you can’t just indulge people who take advantage of you, and hurt you. He knows that sometimes it is necessary to draw a line and say, "No More!" But where do we draw that line? Peter wants Jesus to explain the rules of the forgiveness game. He wants to know the limits of forgiveness. What are the boundaries?
Peter thinks he knows
