Carlton Elkins
Text: Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." ” Introduction:
If there is something more difficult that forgiving one who has truly hurt you, it is accepting forgiveness when you have severely hurt someone. Refusal to forgive, is to play God. Only God is so far above sin that He need never ask forgiveness, yet it is He who is most ready to forgive. To refuse to accept forgiveness is to judge the one forgiving (God or man) as being insincere, or that his own sin is too deep either for God or man to forgive. Either way, we are in God's territory.
Luke gives another story. Here Jesus tells them to forgive seven times in a day. It is not so many times as seventy times seven, but it is all in one day. It makes no difference; the meaning is that there must be no limit to the number of times we forgive, or the degree to which we forgive. Nor may we judge the honesty of the one asking forgiveness.
If he says, I repent, you must forgive him. What if he doesn't mean it? That is his problem, not mine. My problem is to forgive. And Matthew 18:35 says that we must forgive from our hearts. Even if his repentance is not genuine? Again, that is his problem. What about God? Does He have to forgive if I say I repent? No, because He is listening to our hearts. When you tell me that you are sorry, I don't know; God does.
In America, in the schools, following violent events, many students, eager to show their Christian spirit, rush about saying, "We forgive you." Very noble, but it may not be in order. I am not qualified to forgive wrongs done to you. In a sense, on the cross, Jesus offered forgiveness to those who did not ask when He prayed Father forgive them. That was the purity of His heart, but actual forgiveness cannot happen until there is capacity to receive it, and that comes by repentance. Since the apostle Peter continued to heap guilt upon them, (Acts 3:14-15) we assume that they had not accepted God's offer of forgiveness.
The Jews teach that forgiving 3 times is required, and is enough. Peter thought he was being generous offering 7 times. But Jesus said 70 x 7. That means infinity so far as this matter is concerned. How often do you help the poor and hurting before you say that is enough? There is not "enough." How often do you love spouse or family before you say that is enough? There is no limit here and there is no limit to forgiveness. If there is a need, God requires it of us. If we do not give it, we are playing God, a sham God at that, because the real God ceases to forgive only when there is no desire for it.
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