Peter came and said to Jesus,when a member of the church sins against me,
how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?"
Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21
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| Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. |
Jesus isn't asking us to forgive our brothers 490 times, or 70 times, or 77 times. He's telling us we should always forgive those who have sinned against us. He's telling Peter to stop counting! Simply forgive and move on. Always!
God has forgiven all of us for all of humanity's sins through Jesus’ crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension.
How stingy of us to hold onto grudges in human matters when God has so lavishly forgiven all of us.
Why would Jesus want us to so generously forgive those who have wronged us?And if forgiveness is an essential practice for us as Christian people, why is it so hard?
These are the things I am wondering about this week as I head toward Sunday.
These are the things I am wondering about this week as I head toward Sunday.
Question responses: 1. We are asked to forgive because we CAN, that becomes the manifestation of the love that Jesus taught. and, 2. Yes, it's hard mostly because of ego/fear, the two being VERY close cousins...
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