Unforgiveness and the Power of PardonSample

Forgiveness, Jesus-Style

By human standards, Peter was gracious in his approach to forgiveness. By suggesting that forgiveness be extended to someone seven times instead of the Pharisees' customary three times, he probably thought he was exceeding the bounds of generosity and was right in sync with Jesus. But Jesus was quick to give him a perspective adjustment: "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22).

I can imagine the mouths of the twelve disciples falling wide open when Jesus gave that answer. Forgive someone 490 times? Who could count that many misdeeds? But that was the point: you can't keep track of that many offenses. And even if you could—and did—Jesus wasn't saying you should count to 490 and say, "Okay, man, that's it. You're done."

What Jesus did was take Peter's humanly generous yet finite suggestion and raise it to an infinite, Godly level. It's this level of forgiveness and love that the apostle Paul later wrote about in 1 Corinthians 13: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance" (vv. 4-7, NLT).

Real love doesn't keep score or count wrongs. And just like real love, real forgiveness has no limitations. Elsewhere, Jesus told His disciples, "If [your brother] sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him" (Luke 17:4). The idea is that you keep forgiving for as many times as someone sins against you and asks for your forgiveness.

Why are we instructed to repeatedly forgive, especially when it doesn't come naturally to us? Because that's how God forgives, and if we are to reflect His character, we must do the same. A faithful Christian won't allow their forgiveness to be surpassed by a brother or sister's sin.