“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Matthew 6:14
Along life’s journey each of us will face countless times when someone else sins against us. We have the choice to carry grudges about those wrongs and bear the weight of them, or to deal with them and feel the burden lifted. The effects on any of us from abuse, abandonment, betrayal, etc., can be significant. But Jesus, in His compassion for us, has given us a way to heal the aches we carry. It’s through forgiveness.
Forgiveness isn’t rendering a “not guilty” verdict. Forgiveness frees us from the bondage of getting even or seeking our own form of justice. I know many examples in my life of those who have suffered deeply but have experienced the power of forgiveness, joyfully embracing life in the present and moving with hope toward the future.
Peter questioned Jesus about how many times he had to forgive an offense, suggesting a generous seven times. How shocked he must have been when Jesus said, “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22), indicating an unlimited number of times. In other words, let forgiveness become a way of life.
Forgiveness isn’t rendering a “not guilty” verdict. Forgiveness frees us from the bondage of getting even or seeking our own form of justice. I know many examples in my life of those who have suffered deeply but have experienced the power of forgiveness, joyfully embracing life in the present and moving with hope toward the future.
Peter questioned Jesus about how many times he had to forgive an offense, suggesting a generous seven times. How shocked he must have been when Jesus said, “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22), indicating an unlimited number of times. In other words, let forgiveness become a way of life.
Scripture Focus
Matthew 6:9-15
Insight
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
Bible In A Year
- Ezekiel 13-14
- Psalm 137
- Ephesians 5-6