Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18: 21, 22, NIV.
Heavenly Parent, we are here in Your presence because we want to learn from You, how to forgive. So please teach us; this we pray, in Jesus’ name! Amen.
We have now come full circle to the scene from which our Scripture for this series was taken. Remember, the entire conversation began with the disciples’ inquiry about, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus used a child, to illustrate the character of one who is truly great, a candidate for citizenship in heaven; one with a child-like character. From this question we spiraled off into the theme of how a child-like attitude facilitates the willingness to forgive, and the ability to forget. We also saw how people who were child-like in character, were willing to allow God to fight their battles for them. This was followed by a detailed explanation on the part of Jesus, of how the process of forgiveness should be conducted, so that the decisions we make on earth, might be ratified in the courts of heaven, where the angels of these child-like ones, “always see the face of My Father who is in heaven”
Having listened to the Master’s exposition on the subject, Peter, no doubt, felt that he is being very generous by offering to forgive someone who sins against him, not twice, or even three times, but as many as seven times! Wow! Can you imagine how shocked he must have been when Jesus multiplied his “generous” offer of seven, by eleven? “No Peter, you can surely do much better than that! The citizens of My kingdom, keep forgiving as many times as is needed.” As ridiculous as it would be for someone to keep record for seventy-seven offences; it would be just as ridiculous to keep record for seven! The point is, that those who are truly great, those who are preparing for citizenship in heaven; have no time to keep records of grudges, or of hurts.
Jesus, to whom we owe an incalculable debt, was willing to wipe our slate clean, because we did not have any possible way to repay Him! Try as we may, our debt was, and is, more than we can ever hope to repay! Even if we should offer ourselves as martyrs, the shedding of our blood, would avail nothing! In short, our situation was hopeless! Because of this, Christ has not asked us to repay our debt to Him, because He knows that we cannot. What He has asked, is that we offer to others, the forgiveness that He has granted unto us.
Perhaps we have heard the saying, “To err, is human, to forgive, is divine.” That is so true! That is why Jesus described those, who, in the spirit of child-likeness, are willing to forgive, and let bygones, be bygones, as “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” because by forgiving, we are acting in the spirit of the great God of the universe. May God grant us the ability to do this, not in our frailty, but in His greatness!