How much is enough?

Came across this article by Max Licado. He tells about this case where a young man was convicted of manslaughter in 1982. An innocent young girl died because of his drunken driving and the girl's family sued. A settlement of $936 was agreed, to be paid a dollar at a time, every Friday. This work out to be 18 years, week after week after week. The family had taken him to court again, 4 times, over the years, for failure to comply. The young man's submission was that he is not out to defy orders but that he was haunted by the young girl's death and tormented by these weekly reminders. He offered the family two stacks of cheques covering the weekly payments until year 2001, but the family refused. It's not the money they seek, but penance. They want to pursue this weekly repayment until the very end.

I guess to many, including myself, we would say "yeah, he deserve such punishment. Let him rot in that guilt and weekly reminder until the full amount is paid." Doubtless we would side the aggrieved family.

But Max continued to write.... Is the 936 payments enough? Not so much for the young man to send, but for the family to demand? When they receive the final payment, will they be at peace? Will the family be able to put the matter to rest? Is 18 years of restitution sufficient? Will 196 months of remorse be adequate?

How much is enough?

In our life, everyone of us gets wounded and hurt by others at one time or another. How much then do we demand restitution? As in the case of the aggrieved family, they too are plagued by the weekly reminder. What are their pain and grieve? How much is enough? And again, the young man's guilt and remorse, how much is enough?

In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter came to Jesus and asked "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" And Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

Fast forward to the cross at calvary, Jesus' last words "It is finished!" shows just what a gracious God we have. Despite our wrongs, our sins, our unworthiness, the payment was made and the aggrieved God does not require of us, any weekly reminder of our wrongdoing, no more guilt and penance is required. The sentence have been served.

All have been accomplished and paid for on the cross. Hallelujah!