Just Forgive
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)
Let’s face it: Forgiveness is complicated! When Simon Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother or sister, he already had a number in mind. In fact, he doubled the number which the rabbis taught during his day, and added another forgiveness token to his answer. Jesus gave him a number which literally astounded him; and this probably pushes us to the limit, as well.
Most of us, if we are offended by the same person that many times, we would certainly move on. We wouldn’t give a habitual offender any more room to offend or hurt us. This is complicated. Jesus told us to keep on forgiving. Why? Because God is in the forgiveness business. It is a family business, and you are to be part of His business. That’s not easy.
Forgive my brother or sister? Oh, definitely! The very people we need to forgive are the people close to us. We have dropped our defenses with them. Because we are not expecting a “cheap shot,” when it happens, it hurts us deeply. Their wounds inflict more pain because we never thought “they” would ever jab us, and jab us they did.
I was talking to a fellow believer who had just been brutalized behind his back by another believer. He said, “You know, sheep bites hurt worse than any other bite…and they take much longer to heal.” You never expect a sheep to draw blood, but some of God’s children have that ability. What do you do? Just forgive them…and forgive them…and forgive them, etc.
A wise person once said, “To forgive is to set the prisoner free and to discover that the prisoner is you!” Forgiveness (although always complicated), is necessary for the child of God to move forward in their journey home. To refuse forgiveness, regardless of the depth of the offense, is to make a reservation for personal incarceration. Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to forgive someone? Of course, but that’s not real life! The human condition involves navigating the activity of an evil heart, bent on careless destruction. Sometimes, that heart is ours and other times, it is someone else. When it’s your turn to forgive, just forgive.
“Dear Jesus, I‘m not good at this forgiveness thing…Without you, I’m lost. Without your power at work within and through me, I’m hopeless. I throw all of me on You and cry, ‘Show me how to forgive!”
Let’s face it: Forgiveness is complicated! When Simon Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother or sister, he already had a number in mind. In fact, he doubled the number which the rabbis taught during his day, and added another forgiveness token to his answer. Jesus gave him a number which literally astounded him; and this probably pushes us to the limit, as well.
Most of us, if we are offended by the same person that many times, we would certainly move on. We wouldn’t give a habitual offender any more room to offend or hurt us. This is complicated. Jesus told us to keep on forgiving. Why? Because God is in the forgiveness business. It is a family business, and you are to be part of His business. That’s not easy.
Forgive my brother or sister? Oh, definitely! The very people we need to forgive are the people close to us. We have dropped our defenses with them. Because we are not expecting a “cheap shot,” when it happens, it hurts us deeply. Their wounds inflict more pain because we never thought “they” would ever jab us, and jab us they did.
I was talking to a fellow believer who had just been brutalized behind his back by another believer. He said, “You know, sheep bites hurt worse than any other bite…and they take much longer to heal.” You never expect a sheep to draw blood, but some of God’s children have that ability. What do you do? Just forgive them…and forgive them…and forgive them, etc.
A wise person once said, “To forgive is to set the prisoner free and to discover that the prisoner is you!” Forgiveness (although always complicated), is necessary for the child of God to move forward in their journey home. To refuse forgiveness, regardless of the depth of the offense, is to make a reservation for personal incarceration. Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to forgive someone? Of course, but that’s not real life! The human condition involves navigating the activity of an evil heart, bent on careless destruction. Sometimes, that heart is ours and other times, it is someone else. When it’s your turn to forgive, just forgive.
“Dear Jesus, I‘m not good at this forgiveness thing…Without you, I’m lost. Without your power at work within and through me, I’m hopeless. I throw all of me on You and cry, ‘Show me how to forgive!”
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4 Comments
I know of a lady who habitually hurts others in front of a crowd. Most of us forgive her. But I have one friend that got hurt too many times and has moved on. We really liked having the one hurt to be in our group but the perpetrator is there so we lost one of our own.
“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22) That is from the NIV However other translations Jesus said seventy times 7 which is 490 tminimum which is more realitic for Jesus' respose. What would be wrong for Betty Jane with her group, talking to the one who habitually hurts people and explaining to her that she is hurting people. You can forgive but at some point you have to confront someone whose attitude is not in line with th Word or goals of the group. She needs to be given a copy of this Scripture and explain what her attitude is doing to others. Grace needs to be explained to her in love. That attitude will introduce into your group that which is contrary to the group's purpose
I should have said "her" not "that" attitude instead of sounding like I thought Grace would be the wrong attitude. She may not even realize she is hurting people, but sharing God's Word should be shared to help others see JESUS. not drive people away.
Thank you for speaking up Anita what you have said is true. I wish more people would follow Jesus and the truth instead of displaying how nice they are. Christianity is not about being nice it's about Christ. It's very easy to follow God's instructions and in this case he helps us understand how to approach people who act contrary to what he teaches. Matthew 18:15-20 NASB95 — “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
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I should have said "her" not "that" attitude instead of sounding like I thought Grace would be the wrong attitude. She may not even realize she is hurting people, but sharing God's Word should be shared to help others see JESUS. not drive people away.