How Many Times Do I Forgive
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, help me understand what it means to demonstrate true forgiveness. Amen
“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.” Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)
REFLECT:
As Jesus often did, he illustrated the answer to Peter’s question with a parable about a king who wanted to bring his accounts up to date and called in a man who owed him a million dollars. The man couldn’t pay it, so the debtor threw himself on the mercy of the king. The king took pity on the debtor and forgave the whole debt. The debtor’s response follows:
“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.” Matthew 18:28-30 (NLT)
When the king heard about his debtor coming down hard on an individual who owed a very small amount compared to what was owed him, He responded:
“You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Jesus is illustrating the fact that the acts against us pale in comparison to the forgiveness and salvation God is prepared to provide us for our sinful acts. Therefore, we should be willing to forgive as many times as Christ was willing to forgive us.
APPLY:
Remember, when you are offended by what someone does to you, that you need to forgive the individual as many times as God has had to forgive you.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, help me to be willing to forgive others as often as it takes that I may know the liberating effect of forgiving others. Amen