Don’t Keep Track

• Describe a situation in which you have had to forgive someone more than once. Did forgiving them get any easier?

• How many times do you think your parents have forgiven you for doing something wrong?

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Matthew 18:21-22

Peter may have been a bit frustrated when he asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive someone. Imagine his surprise when Jesus answered 77 times! Now, Jesus didn’t mean that we’re supposed to write down a tally mark whenever we forgive someone and then quit when we get to 77. In fact, we’re not supposed to keep track at all. Jesus said this to show that there’s no point in keeping track because we are to keep forgiving regardless of how many times we’ve forgiven in the past.

Jesus also illustrates this teaching with a parable. In the parable, a king forgives his servant of a debt. The servant then walks out, finds someone who owes him money, and demands repayment. Though this man had just been forgiven, he refuses to forgive someone else.

Sometimes we do the same thing. Though God has forgiven believers for all that we’ve done wrong, we sometimes forget that we too need to forgive. Even if it’s over and over again.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for forgiving us for our sins. Please help us to forgive others without keeping track. Amen.