The Power of God’s Forgiveness in Action!
Welcome to “Word from The Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections on His Word. I’m Gregory Seltz. Today’s verses are Matthew 18:21-22.
21 Then Peter came up and said to [Jesus], “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
THE POWER OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS IN ACTION!
C.S. Lewis said, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until there is something [and I would add, someone] to forgive.”[1] Today, however, forgiveness doesn’t even seem to be a “lovely idea.” Instead, resentment, revenge, retribution, and “gettin’ mine” seem to be the prevailing attitudes. Forgiveness? Who needs it? Maybe that’s the real issue. I really believe that at the root of our modern maladies lies the false bravado that 21st century people don’t feel that they need forgiveness. And, as a result, they don’t care much to give it either. One key reason forgiveness seems out of vogue is because no one seems to believe in sin anymore. Well, our text for today sets us straight, and offers a bold challenge anew.
Let’s start with Peter. He was a person much like you and me. He wanted “in” on the things of Jesus, but he wanted such things on his terms. Now, much better than many of us, Peter at least seems to take sin seriously. When he came to Jesus he asked, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” From a human point of view, Peter takes sin and forgiveness very seriously, and he is willing to go the extra mile to give it. I mean, who could forgive someone seven times for the same offense? If they wronged you once, forgiveness almost makes sense; it’s better not to wallow in resentment and pain. If they wrong you two times, forgiveness demonstrates your willingness to go the extra mile. If they wrong you three times and you forgive, you demonstrate that you are a person of virtue, one whose heart is greater than one’s emotions. But if you keep on forgiving them again and again, isn’t that a sign of weakness? Peter was willing to go to his absolute limit of seven times! And that’s pretty good stuff compared to most.
In Matthew 18, Jesus proceeds to tell a story. One man had a tremendous debt to the king. In modern terms, let’s say it was ten million dollars and he had no way to repay it. He pleads for mercy from the king and the king FORGAVE his debt and set him free. How would you feel if you had a $10,000,000 debt forgiven? What then would you do with a person who owed you $1000? Jesus said that this man left the king, met a person who owed him some money, money which could have been paid back or, better, “forgiven” as he had been forgiven. In the story the forgiven man had the other man thrown into debtors’ prison until the debt was repaid. That angered the king who, in the end, judged the unmerciful, thankless person harshly.
The point? Your sins and mine are a huge problem in our relationship with God and with one another. Our crushing debt owed due to our pride, lust, sloth, vanity, selfishness, and anger drives us away from the God who loves us, and drives us apart from those whom we love. Jesus tries to set Peter straight, first about how forgiven he really is. Then Jesus tells Peter to put that forgiveness to work in and through His life for others. Forgiveness received as a gift remains alive in us as we share that gift with others in Christ’s name. But forgiveness hoarded to oneself or denied to others, in the face of the lavish way in which God makes it available to us, eventually damages our own lives too. Jesus doesn’t want Peter to miss what only Jesus can give, forgiveness for the crushing debt of our sin that was earned by His merciful life, death, and resurrection for all. If Jesus won’t limit His forgiveness toward you to seven times, then don’t let anything get in the way of your sharing it with those who ask for it from you. And, if you are having trouble forgiving someone at the moment, reflect on how forgiven you are in Christ. Then try to “speak the truth” of God’s word to them in love, with gentleness and humility (see Ephesians 4:15). Trust in the power of His forgiveness for you, and then let it flow through you to others. There’s nothing else like it in this world.
PRAYER – Dear Lord Jesus, first help me to see how You sustain my relationship with You. Let me see the depth of Your mercy, forgiveness, and grace toward me. Then, in my relationships with others, guide me to be the best I can be as a friend, spouse, parent, or whatever role into which You place me. Empower me to allow all that I have received from You to flow through me so that I can be to a reflection and conduit of Your love to others. AMEN.
[1] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book III, Chapter 7.
