Why Unforgiveness Is (Absolutely) Not an Option
By Kelly Balarie
“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?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22 ESV
I was furious at this person! Sitting on the couch, I knew, there may as well have been a brick wall between us. I was angry. I felt unprotected and exposed. I didn’t want to get hurt again; fools do that. Sure, his words sounded apologetic, but could I trust them? He was saying one thing but all my emotions wanted to believe another.
Nodding, I pretended like everything was okay.
At the same time, my mind circled back to a conversation I recently had with a friend. She explained how she didn’t intend to send me a podcast to teach me a lesson or to prove a point. She just wanted to know my opinion about it.
I remember thinking, “I have to trust her at her word. Otherwise, if I go by a feeling, I will go about forgiving.”
I told her, “Friend, I know your heart.” I immediately moved on from bitterness.
Why couldn’t I do the same thing with this man? Why couldn’t I trust His heart? Why couldn’t I take him at his word?
I sat with that thought… After a time, I came to the fact that -- Jesus doesn’t tell me it’s an option that I forgive. He doesn’t tell me it might be a good idea to forgive. Jesus tells me to forgive.
“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?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22 ESV
Man will fail us seventy-seven times. And, God calls us to forgive them seventy-seven times. Even when by our natural we have no good reason as to – why.
Never once did Jesus say we have to understand every reason why… He tells us to forgive.
To love the Lord is to obey His commands. To give someone forgiveness is to offer them a fresh start. Jesus is The Way so, certainly, His truth leads the way to abundant life.
This doesn’t mean we abandon reason or wisdom as we forgive. Certainly, boundaries and wise words are always needed. At the same time, the calling to forgive – still stands.
Who might you need to forgive today? How might God be preparing something new for you in that relationship? How might God be growing fruit in you? How might this growing fruit in your life affect others.
Friends, forgiveness is never merited, hardly deserved, but it is always required. We forgive, just as Jesus forgave us…
Intersecting Faith & Life:
“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?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22 ESV
This verse indicates that man will hurt us – many, many times. Not only will they hurt us, but they will verifiably sin against us. When know that someone has not only hurt you but they have blatantly sinned in your face, how do you handle it? Are you a person of grace or of anger? Do you continually blame and point fingers at the past, or do you make way for immediate and radical forgiveness?
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Antonio Guillem
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