Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Listen to the Word

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)

Peter asks Jesus a very relevant question in today’s Scripture: how many times should I forgive someone who wrongs me? A sad fact of life is that people you know will sin against you. And many of them will be repeat offenders. When you get close to someone, they are in a position to hurt you again and again. When that happens, will you get even, or will you forgive? How many times will you forgive? Peter wants to impress Jesus with his gracious spirit, so he suggests forgiving someone seven times. Jesus says that our grace shouldn’t be limited like that. Folks like us who have been forgiven freely should be lavish with our forgiveness.

Forgiving does not mean we excuse what the other person did. And forgiving doesn’t necessarily mean we reconcile with the person (reconciling takes two, but forgiving just takes you). But forgiving does mean we give up the right to make them pay. Forgiving means we let go of the bitterness before it poisons us further. Forgiveness means we pass along some of the extravagant grace we have received from God. We need to stop counting and keep forgiving.

Live the Word

Who do you feel bitterness toward today? Ask God to help you have his grace to forgive them.