Matthew 18:21,22
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."
Peter's question leads me to believe he, like many of us, struggled with forgiveness. Peter's heart was to follow Christ, but his flesh wasn't going to give up that easily. Forgiveness is one of the hardest yet most important things we must do; it's not taking on more things but rather letting go of things. It is freeing at its core, and yet we struggle with it. To forgive is to free yourself from the burden of carrying someone's else offenses, mistakes, and hurts done against you, yet we cling so tightly to that which hurts us so deeply.
Some of us have walked through the darkest valley and suffered much at the hands of others, but if we want to be free of that hurt and pain, we must forgive. Jesus knew this, and Peter, much like us, had to learn it. It's not in our human nature to forgive but to hold grudges and get revenge; that's why a new nature (Christ's) isn't just recommended but absolutely necessary. We, in the weaknesses of our flesh, don't have the strength necessary to forgive, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can! It's not a far-off or lofty dream but a reality that Christ both commands and equips us to achieve!
God has forgiven me so very much, and to withhold my forgiveness is, in essence, to declare in my heart that I'm better than Him or that I'm entitled to receive what I'm unwilling to give. Who am I to think that I'm entitled to hold onto my un-forgiveness, all the while expecting forgiveness from Him. It's not an easy road filled with roses but rather an old dusty road that leads to the cross! Thank You, Jesus!
Matthew 6:14,15- "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Galatians 5:24,25- Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
God bless! I love you all, but His love bought forgiveness for all of my sins! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Matthew 18:21,22
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.
I think Peter may have had a problem with unforgiveness. The way he phrases the question makes me feel like he was looking for a loophole or a condition on which he could refuse to forgive, but Christ lays it out plainly and commands him to forgive continually. Have we ever done this? Gone to Christ with a question hoping to get a certain answer only to be exposed and corrected? It’s not fun, but boy, is it edifying and necessary!
I encourage you to read some of the books of Peter and then reflect on how far the Lord brought him. He went from being someone who looked for loopholes, was a little hot-headed, and even a denier of Christ to someone who was fully surrendered and subsequently used mightily by the Lord! Not because Peter was anything but because Jesus is everything.
Imagine how Peter must have felt after the denial when he realized Christ would forgive him. These words and Christ’s command to continually forgive must have been ointment to the wound of his heart. Because if God commands us to do it, then we can rest assured that He does it first, better and more often! If Christ commanded Peter to forgive like that, then Peter could expect the same from Him. Not because Peter deserved it but because that is who Christ is! I’m sure there were moments of doubt in Peter’s mind about this, but in the end, it proved true when Jesus reinstated Peter with a fish breakfast that day on the shore! Remember Christ met him with open arms, not guilt and shame. What a beautiful picture of Christ living out what He taught; will we live out what He has taught us?
Today is a day of forgiveness. Will you let go of the weight that is dragging you down or continue to hold onto it until you drown? It’s not easy, but it is necessary, and He will help us every step of the way!
Matthew 18:32-35- “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
God bless! I love you all, but His love bought forgiveness! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
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