"Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."
Matthew 18:21-22
Part 3
Yesterday: Forgiveness is to be Given and Received
“Till seven times?”
How many times do I forgive someone until I’ve done all I need to do?
Today: Practical Thoughts and Actions with Forgiveness
“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Let’s see, 70 X 7 = 490 times per issue! No, Jesus is not trying to help us be better at math, He is showing us that our forgiveness is not bound by a number, but it is to be limitless. As long as there is a need, we grant forgiveness.
This thought should also help us be forgiving even when the offender is unrepentant and never asks to be forgiven. When an unapologetic person sins against us, we can follow Jesus’ example of how He treated the soldiers who crucified Him.
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).
What does forgiveness look like at home?
With a growing family, home is the place where forgiveness may be needed the most. It needs to be asked for, and given often, potentially many times a day. To develop the Bible teaching of forgiveness at home will require much education, with consistent modeling and pre-problem rehearsing with our children.
1. Parents teach: The child must learn how to forgive and ask for it correctly.
Say, “I’m sorry for ___, will you forgive me” (and mean it).
Say, “I forgive you” (and mean it).
2. Parents model: The child needs to see mom and dad “doing forgiveness” correctly as they go about their daily lives in the home. Parent to parent and parent to child, this is modeled in the same way they have taught the child. Otherwise, the child may become confused.
3. Parents and children rehearse: Think about and practice scenes where the child has been wronged and needs to forgive someone. And scenes with the child where they have done wrong and need to ask someone to forgive them.
Handling forgiveness correctly begins with Dad and Mom. It has been said, “A good marriage is made up of two good forgivers.” The parents in the home, being the adults, need to model these good habits for their children. If we parents do not “practice what we preach” here, the child may get the idea that asking for and giving forgiveness is only for children, and they can stop this when they grow up.
Jesus has pointed out that being forgiving goes on through life anytime there is a need. In Jesus’ model, there are no limits to our forgiveness. “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Quote:
“Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours. Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious”[1] (Phillips Brooks).
“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you”[2] (C.S. Lewis).
[1] Brook’s quote Downloaded: Thursday, February 11, 2021. From: https://www.christianquotes.info/top-quotes/18-powerful-quotes-about-forgiveness/.
[2] Lewis’ quote Downloaded: Thursday, February 11, 2021. From: https://www.christianquotes.info/top-quotes/18-powerful-quotes-about-forgiveness/.