Matthew 18:21-22 - Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Jesus had spent the day teaching the disciples. His time with them was drawing to a close….so he was packing all He could into the last few days before His crucifixion …death…and resurrection. He taught them about humility…reminding them of the difference in being childish and childlike. He warned them that temptations would always be a part of their lives…to guard against becoming the tempter. He told them to always hold all people in high regard…never demeaning them…and always ask God to direct the conversations we have with those Christian friends we feel have made unbiblical choices.
It was peter’s question about forgiveness that turned Jesus’ attention to the subject. Peter thought he was being extra lenient in offering the perfect number of 7 for a guide of how many times to forgive someone. But Jesus was quick to tell them 7x70 …meaning that forgiveness was not a number to simply count…it was a permanent state of mind that they should hold to…cherishing the feeling of mercy ….compassion ….and tolerance …letting it transform their hearts in the process.
It is a great reminder to me that mastering the art of forgiveness is paramount to becoming the Christian that God wants us to be. Jesus is very clear here…if we are not willing to work on our attitudes of forgiveness…God will not forgive us any of the sins we commit. I can testify to the fact that unforgiveness will block your growth of faith…block your happiness….block your ability to understand anything in Bible study and prayer….generally stop you exactly where you are in God in the moment you realize you have been called to forgive someone who has hurt you…even if it was a deep wound. I believe with all my heart that I started growing more in Christ the night I laid my hurt and hate from my divorce at Jesus feet…and truly forgave my ex for his part in the failing of our marriage.
I will go one more step and tell you that the moment I decided to forgive him…a whole new world of loving others opened up for me. I have begun to love more people….to open up my heart to more ways to love others. I have more passion to do what is right….and the strength to do it was multiplied. I trust more…and care less about how many times I might be hurt….taking more risks with my heart simply because I know it is what God wants me to do. Sure I still have lapses where I revert back to my old ways of doing unto others the way they did to me…..but God always reminds me how full life is when I remember Luke 6:31 that says do unto others the way you want to be done.
Father…thank you for the reminder that forgiveness is one of the most important lessons e can learn from you. Forgive me for the times that I have forgotten this important attitude…and let satan trick me into seeping in hate and sadness because of the hurts that happened in my life. Help me to always remember that unforgivenss blocks my understanding of your word…blocks my heart from loving others the way you love me. Let forgiveness be so immediate from my heart that I even forget what unforgiveness is. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment