Unlimited Forgiveness

The "Lord's Prayer" stands as the most renowned prayer in the Bible, and within it lies a phrase equally recognized:

"and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Matthew 6:12 NET)

After presenting this exemplary prayer to His disciples, Jesus concludes with a cautionary note:

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV)

Those who wrong us essentially owe us a debt.

At its core, forgiveness means to absolve or settle the debt someone owes us.

Recalling Jesus' words, Peter later inquired:

"Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus replied, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22 NET)

Peter's underlying question is: How many times should one forgive before finally resorting to retaliation and harboring resentment against a deserving individual?

Jesus' response essentially conveys: How can one not forgive?

In Jesus' era, rabbis advocated forgiving the same individual up to three times.

Hearing Jesus and recognizing His standards surpassed those of the rabbis, Peter believed he was being magnanimous by proposing forgiveness up to seven times.

However, Jesus counters with the notion of forgiving up to seventy times seven. In Hebrew context, this signifies Jesus' call for boundless forgiveness.

Lamech once proclaimed (Genese 4:24) that he had taken the lives of both a man and a child, and if anyone were to kill him, vengeance would be exacted seventy-sevenfold.

In the absence of divine guidance, man seeks unbounded retribution. This very mindset has fueled centuries-long conflicts among various groups.

Conversely, the reborn individual, a child of God following Jesus, practices limitless forgiveness!

Only those who've truly felt God's pardon can extend such grace.

“The forgiveness we've been graced with demands that we, in turn, forgive others. This is the essence of Jesus' parable about the pardoned debt and the wicked servant. I encourage you to delve into it, reflect upon its teachings, and we'll delve deeper tomorrow.” (Matthew 18:23-35)

David Théry

Practical Insights to Experience God