PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 18:15-35
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (22)
Peter hears Jesus’s heart for rescuing, restoring and reconciling (Matthew 18:1-20) and is challenged by this idea of reconciling with someone who sins against you (Matthew 18:15-17). He asks the obvious question: what are the limits, how often do I have to forgive them?
Peter thinks he is being generous when he says seven times, but for him there is still a limit. Like the weekly cycle of 7 (a number meaning ‘completeness’), give the person a break for each day of the week, culminating in either the day of rest (sabbath peace) or the end of that opportunity. The 7th time is the last chance before peace is forfeited. Imagine his surprise when Jesus multiplies this by the number 10, which represents ‘fullness’. The text either says 70 (7×10) or 70×7 (7x10x10), either way indicating ‘completeness’ x ‘fullness’. In other words, as long as it takes!
Notice this is not about sin in general, but specifically when someone sins against us. We are not to be morality police, running after everyone who we think is sinning, insisting on their repentance or withholding their forgiveness. This is a very personal situation, when someone is mistreating or abusing you. When someone is not loving you, or being unfaithful to you. Assumed in this situation is that the person is coming to you with remorse or asking for mercy.
In His response, Jesus is describing how God is with us. We sin every day of the week, every day of our lives. We somethings admit it, other times we do not realize or admit it. Yet despite our continuous falling short, God is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7) Paul describes God’s character revealed in Jesus with the words “immense patience” (1 Timothy 1:15-16).
This is NOT easy, and I know I am guilty of not forgiving like this. This is just one of the many ways that I know I fall short of the glorious goodness and love of God. There are many times (70×7?) that I come back to God asking for mercy.
And Jesus is assuring me that God is patient and merciful. There is always room for anyone to come to God and to expect mercy and love. God’s primary disposition towards us is love, not wrath. Wrath is reserved for those who ultimately refuse to receive and reflect God’s love towards others – who remain unloving, cruel, abusive, selfish. Those who stand before the Lord on the last day, hardened in their resistance to gracious love, will ultimately get what they wanted: no gracious love.
Let the wonder of God’s immense patience inspire and encourage you to see others who sin against you in the same way that God sees you,. As someone who can still benefit from mercy and grace. As someone who needs ongoing mercy and grace, just like you and me.
Lord Jesus, my love and forgiveness do not abound like yours. I am not slow to anger, and my patience is not unlimited. May the height and depth and width and breadth of Your love penetrate my own soul, that I may overflow with the fullness of Your love toward those who sin against me. I cannot do this by myself.