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21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." ~ Matthew 18:21-22
Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus is responding to His disciples about greatest in His kingdom. Greatness according to the world is in direct opposition to what God says about it and the default mode for most is in accordance with Lucifer's definitions of things, not God's. The late Jim Valvano once said, "What enables us to achieve our greatness contains the seeds of our destruction." There is a fine line between greatness God's way and that of this world that is ruled by Satan. The notable difference is motivation. The real question is why do we want to be great? Is it for our glory or for God's. Only that which is of and for God will endure.
In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?'"
Today's passage was in response to the question asked of the Lord Jesus by the disciples, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" After the Lord Jesus highlighted several characteristics of greatness, Peter came to Him and asked how often he must forgive someone who has sinned against him. To the extent that we struggle with forgiveness, when it comes to relationships, it is absolutely necessary if we desire depth in the relationship. It has been said by many that "Bitterness is like drinking poison and then waiting on your enemy to die."
Peter's question revealed that his understanding and appreciation of forgiveness was tainted. Peter wanted to know the bare minimum that God required of him. Peter didn't understand forgiveness at its core. Forgiveness in the Bible reflects the heart of God. It means to no longer hold sin against the person who has sinned against you. It’s not about forgetting what happened or pretending it didn’t hurt, it’s a choice to respond in mercy and grace rather than revenge. We must always be on guard against the flesh that recoils out of the desire to protect ourselves and to penalize those who have hurt us.
In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'"
Biblical faith that is informed by God's forgiveness will always conform to the commands of Christ. The response the Lord Jesus provided Peter is not a counter offer of a literal amount of seventy-seven times. No, the Lord Jesus used a figure of speech here to declare that there should be no limit on how many times we are willing to pursue the spiritual well-being of our brother by pursuing them for the sake of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Forgiveness matters because it lies at the center of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His final hour, the Lord Jesus looked upon those who condemned Him and said, "Father, forgive them." His death and suffering was the greatest expression of mercy and grace the world has ever witnessed. Through His sacrifice, God offers full forgiveness to those who trust in Him, washing away guilt and reconciling broken people to Himself. God's grace is more than something we believe, it’s a gift that changes everything. It lifts the weight of shame and guilt. It restores the relationship that sin robbed from us with our Creator.
This kind of forgiveness isn’t meant to stop with us. God calls us to pass it on every chance we get. Due to the fact that the Lord Jesus gave up His life for us, we choose to lavish upon those who have hurt us the same mercy and grace that God showed to us at the cross. Forgiveness is not just something we receive from others, it’s something we’re called to share with others, especially those who should know better than to deliberately hurt us. Forgiveness is part of the resurrection story still being unfolded through the shaping our words and reactions toward those who have hurt us. This great expression of mercy and grace is God's greatest change agent. No-one should want to conceal that.
When we hold onto bitterness, resentment, or anger, we allow those emotions to take root and to shape how we think, speak, and live. In Ephesians 4:31–32, we are told to "put away all bitterness and wrath and anger, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Forgiveness breaks the cycle of Satan's destruction. It gives space for peace to settle in where hostility once lived. Forgiveness allows us to move forward in freedom, rather than staying stuck and stunted in the hurt. Choosing to forgive draws us closer to the heart of God. Every time we release an offender, we choose to trust God’s justice more than our own.
