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Forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22)

Scripture of the Day: Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Last week my pastor did a rousing sermon on forgiveness which struck a chord with me because he brought up a point which I had failed to grasp for some time. Warning: this may be a little more preachy than usual, so bear with me!

Forgiveness is important. It is a demand of sorts, but it is SO hard to do it. Why? And what are the insinuations for our lives if we don't do it? What are we saying by refusing to forgive those in our lives who have hurt us; or even ourselves? When we do not forgive, friends, we are saying Jesus is not enough. That Jesus dying for you was not enough.

Some of Jesus' last words were, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." If Jesus, taking on the sins of the world, (i.e. taking on YOUR personal sins) could forgive you on the cross, how can we not forgive those who sin against us? The sins committed against us, no matter how big, are not bigger than what Jesus dealt with on the cross.

We need to forgive those who have hurt us. Someone much wiser than me told me a long time ago to pray/speak the words, "I forgive __________", even before you mean them. God and the Holy Spirit in you will work with you to change your heart so that one day, when you pray those words, you will mean them with your whole being, instead of just with your head. But saying the words is important.

With forgiveness comes freedom. A lightening of the soul. A demonstration of grace. A new beginning. An acknowledgement that Jesus is indeed, enough.






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