TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Jennifer A. Sun

Since the fall of man, it is undeniable that we hurt people in our day-to-day relationships, whether we realize it or not. It was said that the Jewish leaders and the rabbi during that time taught people that they were to forgive those who offended them up to three times. Peter offered that maybe seven times was the correct answer. To his surprise, Jesus did not find his offer generous at all. He even said, “not seven times, but seventy seven times” (v. 22). In some versions of the Bible, we read “until seventy times seven” (v. 22).

So, what’s the real deal here? Is it seventy seven times or seventy times seven times? Being quite the rigid person that I am, I will not be surprised if I keep a tally of the people who offend me and count the number of times that I forgave them—may it be 77 or 490 times. But, Jesus did not say this to encourage us to keep a notebook or a digital tracker of the things people do that offend us. What Jesus is calling us to do, is to forgive those who are truly repentant, notwithstanding the number of times they have committed the mistake. 

Jesus is telling us that since He had already forgiven us of our sins when He gave His life on the cross, we are then in no position to withhold forgiveness from the people who wrong us. When we look to the cross and see how generous God has been and how His grace has forgiven an unworthy sinner like us, then there is no way we will hold back from forgiving the person who has offended us. When we are in Christ, then we are in His law of love.

PRAYER

Lord, may we reflect Your love, compassion, and grace in our relationships as we forgive and seek reconciliation with those who have hurt us. In doing so, may we mirror the forgiveness and love that we have received from You. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.