"Lord, if
another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven
times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven
times."
To me this passage is everything. The meaning is the center of what the
Lord expects from us as Christians, and it is a clear indicator of just how much God loves
his children.
I have a family member who has a beautiful daughter. This young woman
is a vibrant, spirited seventeen year-old. Unfortunately the father is not around, but the
mother has always been there for her daughter, even changing her job and modifying her
lifestyle so she would have more time for the one she loves so much. As sometimes happens
in life, things just don’t work out the way you think they should.
The young girl became defiant. Beyond that, she became hateful, mean,
and even cruel to the mother who loves her so much. Things were said. She ran away. She
even got in trouble with the law. The thought of causing so much pain to someone who loves
you so much seemed unthinkable. Yet, through all that, the mother forgave. Through tears
of pain, she forgave her daughter over and over. She forgave the one she loved so much
because she did, indeed, love her daughter with her whole heart.
This whole painful time, I saw all that this woman went through. It
caused me to think.
I teach, over and over, to the fifth grade LOGOS class just how much
God loves us. The Bible demonstrates over and over how the Lord forgives, and loves. I
wonder how many times I have made Jesus cry with tears of pain as he said to me, "I
forgive you." I wonder in amazement at the love he must have for a sinner like me, to
die for a sinner like me. I ache in my heart at the incredible things I have done in my
life that must have hurt my Lord.
We are called upon to forgive. Not once, not twice, but always. And if
God can forgive me for my sins against him, then surely we can forgive each other.
Prayer: Lord Jesus your love for us is perfect and unfailing. Give us
the strength to love one another as you love us. Give us the peace of heart that makes it
possible for us to forgive those who sin against us, as you forgive us. Amen.
