I’ve talked about forgiveness before. Today I am going to focus on these verses:
Matthew 18:21-22 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “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.
We are told to forgive others period. Forgiving others is not about the other person, it is about you. God knows that if we do not forgive, then anger, resentment, bitterness, hatred and then ultimately vengeance/revenge will consume us.
There is a saying about forgiving and forgetting because if you are not willing to hang with that person or what have you, then you haven’t forgiven them. The Bible never says that we have to forget. It does say you relinquish the debt you think you are owed to the Lord and you are letting the Lord deal with the person. It does not say that you will become best pals forever, but it does say to love your neighbor, even those you hate, as yourself (Matthew 22:39).
This is why I think Matthew 18:21-22 exists. It is not only for all those other times when that same person may need your forgiveness because of something they did or said, but also when you think about what they did the first time that required you to forgive them.
Lets face it, no matter how much we may want to forget what the person said or did, we don’t. It may be buried deep within us, but eventually it will come out again and at that time we need to make the choice to forgive them again or not. God wants us to forgive them again and again and again so we do not sin in our anger, Ephesians 4:26.
The question is are you willing to forgive others for what they have done? The choice is yours, but understand that there are consequences for your actions. The Lord clearly states in Matthew 5:15 and Mark 11:26 that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others.
In today’s world this concept of forgiveness is even more important as it seems so many people, me included, that are just angry at this person or that. We all need to take a step back, clear our heads, and look at the bigger picture and that is our eternal soul. Where do we want life in the afterlife, Heaven or Hell? The choice is up to us.
If you are struggling with the concept of forgiveness, then take some time and read God’s word and talk to Him. Find a pastoral counselor that can help you understand forgiveness and what it can do for you.