Lord, how often should I forgive
someone who sins against me?
—Matthew 18:21
Rabbinic teaching limited forgiveness to three: “If a man commits a transgression, the first, second, and third time he is forgiven, the fourth time he is not.”
Peter was more generous: “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” Perhaps he was thinking, “Jewish law says to forgive three times. How about if I double it, and add an extra one for good measure?”
Jesus told him he wasn’t even close: “Try seventy times seven!”
Not easy. The person who continues to hurt you doesn’t deserve repeated forgiveness. Neither do you, but aren’t you grateful that God continues to forgive you—many more times than three or seven?
Filter your forgiveness of others through these words: “Be tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Eph 4:32).
Don’t keep score.