"How many times shall I forgive my brother?" (Matthew 18:21)
In a conversation the disciples are having with Jesus, Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone. Peter doesn't even wait for Jesus to respond . . . he asks 7 times? Peter might have thought he was being generous. The teachers of that time encouraged people to forgive 3 times. Peter was double! However, Jesus told him not 7 times, but 70 times 7. Who would keep track of forgiving someone that many times? And that's the point, there should be no end to forgiveness.
I have to admit, that's really hard for me. Forgiveness is a very difficult thing. But what I have to remember is how much I've been forgiven of. God forgives us for our sin endlessly. God doesn't keep track of every little (or big) wrongdoing. We're human, we sin, God loves us anyway. It's that free grace that comes through Christ's death on the cross.
If we are freed FROM our sin what are we freed FOR? We're freed FOR loving and forgiving others. It's hard, but if I am having trouble forgiving someone else I need to look at what God has already forgiven me for.
No comments:
Post a Comment