In Matthew 18:21, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
Jesus’ reply, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven,” (verse 22) is a figurative way of saying there should be no numerical limit on our willingness to forgive.
The parable told in verses 23-35 of the chapter drives home this point.
In the parable, Jesus told of a servant who owed his master ten thousand talents. His master demanded payment, and the servant begged for forgiveness. The master, moved with compassion, forgave the debt (verse 27).
The forgiven servant found a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii, and demanded he pay up.
This fellow servant owed the servant about 1/600000, or 0.00017%, of the debt his master forgave him of. Yet, when the fellow servant could not pay, the servant cast him into prison.
When the master learned of his servant’s actions, the master “was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him” (verse 34).
This illustrates God’s reaction toward those who are unwilling to forgive others. If He is willing to forgive us upon obedience to Him, why would we not be willing to forgive others? No one is less deserving of our forgiveness than we are of God’s forgiveness.
Christ’s teachings that encourage forgiveness match the example He left us (cf. Luke 23:34).
Take, for example, Peter’s denial. We know that after Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, Peter wept bitterly, recognizing the severity of what he had done (Matt. 26:75). But a question that is heartbreaking to think about is what Jesus would have been thinking when Peter denied Him. Jesus knew it would happen beforehand (Matt. 26:34), but that would not have made it easy to see Peter deny Him three times.
When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and gave the instruction to feed his lambs (or sheep) (John 21:15-17). It was apparent that Jesus did not hold a grudge or resentment against Peter, but instead wanted to help Peter serve God moving forward.
Consider also the example of the woman caught in adultery in John 8.
Her accusers asked Jesus if she should be stoned, claiming to ask out of respect for Moses’ Law (verses 3-6). Jesus’ response in verse 7 was: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” The accusers each left, “being convicted by their conscience” (verse 9). When no one was left but Jesus and the woman, He said to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more” (verse 11).
Forgiveness does not minimize sin (notice Jesus’ words “sin no more”), but it seeks to help others receive the gift of forgiveness that Jesus gave His life for.
Forgiveness is about building others up, rather than tearing others down.
It does not please God or help anyone make it to heaven when one retaliates or holds a grudge against those who have wronged him or her. What if God held a grudge against each of us for the wrong we have done toward Him?
May we heed the example of the One who, unlike us, needs no forgiveness, and yet openly offers it to all who will come to Him on His terms and accept the gift He gave His life for.
– Michael Hickox