Sat Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

There is a question that a disciple named Peter raised that some of you have probably raised and that is, “How many times do you have to forgive someone?” When do you finally get to replace forgiveness with bitterness? When is it finally okay to carry a grudge against someone?” I am glad you asked, because Jesus answered that question.

You know it is one thing to go to one person over one offense and forgive them one time, but what if that person does something wrong again or even worse does the same thing wrong again. Is it, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me?” That is exactly what Peter was asking,

“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’” (Matthew 18:21)

Why did Peter mention seven times? In Jewish culture, the going rate for forgiveness was three times. Their policy was “three strikes you’re out”. Peter doubles down on the number that the culture demanded and then adds one free pass as a bonus and thinks he is giving Jesus a blue light special. Knowing Peter, he probably thought Jesus was about to give him the Disciple of the Year award when Jesus blew him away with this answer.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven times." (Matthew 18:21)

Jesus was not giving a math lesson. He wasn’t saying that we need to get a forgiveness app on our smartphone and everytime someone sins against us record it and then on the 491st time an alarm will go off and we can nuke them. What he was saying was there is no limit to your forgiveness of others, because there is no limit to God’s forgiveness of you.

I realize for many of you this is gut wrenching, because you are sitting there thinking, “You don’t know what you are asking of me. You don’t know how this person has hurt me. You don’t know how many times this person has hurt me. You don’t know how many times that person has apologized and asked for forgiveness. Can you give me just one reason why I should always be ready, willing, and able to forgive no matter what?” Yes. I am going to give you the same reason that Jesus gave us. It is found in our Key Take Away: Forgiven people forgive people.