The Powerful Impact of Forgiveness: How Many Times Should We Forgive?

“Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’”

Matthew 18:20-21

Dear Family & Friends,

Forgiveness is a crucial component of kingdom living! Because of Jesus’ sacrifice God has forgiven our sins, and now we must also forgive others. Sinful attitudes and actions infiltrate every relationship, but even with recurring offenses we must be willing to continually forgive just as we’ve been forgiven.

An Old Tea Kettle

Recently I have been helping my mom clean out her house. She has been downsizing and we have spent a lot of time considering which of her possessions to take and which to leave. Many childhood memories came flooding back as I evaluated certain items, but I knew that one in particular couldn’t be left behind.

In 1921 my 7-year old grandmother sailed with her family from Scotland to America. Her mother packed a trunk with certain indispensable items from the old country, and one of these items was a metal tea kettle. I took the kettle home and immediately researched how to remove all of the calcium buildup from the inside. After numerous tries the interior looked better but there was still some residue left from all the years of tea-making with hard water. It just isn’t easy to get rid of.

How Many Times Should We Forgive?

I thought about the sinful tendencies that are inherent in each of us. Like the old tea kettle, our past experiences and personalities create a build-up of wrong attitudes and unhealthy behavior. Some of these vices are very hard to break. But no matter how many times we fail or fall there is forgiveness. “If we confess our sins [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In light of this glorious freedom, how should we then forgive others who continually offend us?

Peter, the disciple, asked Jesus this very question, suggesting the answer of seven times.  Seventy times seven, Jesus replied, and then used a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves to illustrate His point.

A Parable About Forgiveness

Once there was a king, He began, who wished to settle his accounts with those who owed him money. One slave, who owed him ten thousand talents, fell to the ground and begged for mercy. He didn’t have the money and desperately needed more time.

The compassionate master sent the debtor on his way, forgiving the amount in full. But on the way home the forgiven man came across one of his fellow slaves who owed him a little bit of money. Instead of passing the mercy forward, the man demanded full payment immediately. Despite all the fellow slave’s pleas, the wicked man had him thrown into prison until he could make the payment.

Hearing of this travesty, the compassionate master summoned the merciless slave and berated him for his attitude. “You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?” The now angry master then took the wicked slave and handed him over to the torturers until he could repay all that he owed.

Jesus ended the parable with a solemn warning. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

Forgiveness is Crucial for Kingdom Living

Every day there are opportunities to forgive and be forgiven. We, like the old metal teapot, each have a stubborn buildup of sinful and annoying habits that lend themselves to conflict. But when we remember how God has graciously forgiven us, how can we not do the same for others?

Forgiveness is crucial for kingdom living. Not only is it important for our relationships, it’s healthy for our hearts as well. And it’s what God requires!

Love,

Mama

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