Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’

Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’.

‘Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

‘At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.’

MATTHEW 18:21–27

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If there are two words that best capture the spirit of improvisation, they are ‘yes, and…’.

What’s more, these words help us describe Jesus’ ministry – and even reveal an aspect of the gospel itself.

The passage above is a case in point. Peter asks Jesus about forgiveness. Jesus, with playful provocation, gives Peter more than just an answer. ‘Forgiveness? Yes, and…’ – in other words, he extends forgiveness upon forgiveness.

Jesus then ups his own answer by telling a story about how God’s forgiveness is meant to be transformational, not transactional. It’s those who say ‘yes’ to God’s forgiveness that are able to say ‘and…’ by extending that forgiveness to others.

‘Yes, and…’ is a posture that allows its owner to both receive and contribute. Whatever offer comes, it is neither ignored nor blocked. Instead, it is validated, added to, and offered back.

For example, in a songwriting session with a bandmate last week, I transcribed his new ideas for already near-complete songs. My bandmate’s suggestions casually disregarded the hours of my work that preceded his input.

Later, once I had let go some of my frustration, I noticed an offer before me: to say ‘yes, and…’ to this bandmate’s ideas not by accepting them at face value, but by getting to work on them. I might be able to weave them into the best of what we already had and come up with something that improved both versions.

Jesus invites Peter to become a ‘yes, and…’ kind of person, reflecting the character of the God who is able to say ‘yes, and…’ to us. We, too, can become those kinds of people, as we allow our hearts and habits to be shaped by the gospel.

When we find ourselves patronised by a colleague’s email, we can reply with grace – in person. When we get tough feedback in a performance review, we can own what’s true and ask for help to adjust. When we deal with a difficult question from a non-Christian friend, we can thank them for the question and ask them for the context before we charge in.

Good improvisation takes practice. But as Jesus the master improviser shows us, when we let go of what inhibits, notice more offers before us, and respond to those offers in a ‘yes, and…’ kind of way, our improvisation becomes a faithful performance of the gospel, revealing it in never-before seen ways, to the audience’s great delight.

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Tim Yearsley
Head of Innovation, LICC

What will it look like for you to become a ‘yes, and’ kind of person in response to the offers that come your way today? Join the conversation below.