Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent - March 13, 2012
Matthew 18:21 - 22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
"How often should I forgive someone?"
I've always thought of Peter's question as referring to the same person who continues to offend or injure me in different ways at different times . . . multiple offenses, so to speak.
Today I'm reading it differently. How often should I forgive the same person for the same offense? Jesus answered in effect, that there is no limit to forgiveness, no outer edge to it. Forgiveness, even for the same injury, must be continual, persistent, never-ending.
I used to think that when I forgave someone, it was a one-time-forever kind of thing. That is, once I forgave, I forgave forever. Once I did it, I did it. That settled it. I said the words, "I forgive you," and then moved on, as if the matter were over with.
Only this . . . I've learned through the years that most of the time I did NOT settle the issue just that once. The same old resentments or bitterness would arise again the next day, or the next week. Conventional wisdom -- what I tended to read in books and hear from preachers or friends -- was that I must not have truly forgiven in the first place. If the issue continued to arise within me, then I didn't really do it right the first time (whatever "doing it right" means!).
Forgiveness is very daily with me. I have to forgive over and over again, even the same injury or offense. I have to forgive each day as much as I can possibly forgive that day. Daily I have to release the persons toward whom I feel resentment all over again. Some of them are dead and some living. Each day I have to forgive them again, for that day, as much as I can in that moment.
For me, that's what, "seventy times seven" means. Forgiveness is daily. I'll never get to the end of it.
For today . . . bring into your prayer time someone who has hurt you, perhaps someone you have forgiven in the past . . . either to their face or in your prayer. If you have no lingering resentments, that's great. If you do have lingering resentments toward that person, rather than feel guilty over them, simply speak your forgiveness for that person again today. Ask God to help you forgive them, to release them, for today. You don't have to get so grandiose that you are forgiving them for all time. Tomorrow will be different, a new day. All you can do right now is forgive them in this moment. Tomorrow you can deal with it again from the place where you are standing tomorrow.
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
"How often should I forgive someone?"
I've always thought of Peter's question as referring to the same person who continues to offend or injure me in different ways at different times . . . multiple offenses, so to speak.
Today I'm reading it differently. How often should I forgive the same person for the same offense? Jesus answered in effect, that there is no limit to forgiveness, no outer edge to it. Forgiveness, even for the same injury, must be continual, persistent, never-ending.
I used to think that when I forgave someone, it was a one-time-forever kind of thing. That is, once I forgave, I forgave forever. Once I did it, I did it. That settled it. I said the words, "I forgive you," and then moved on, as if the matter were over with.
Only this . . . I've learned through the years that most of the time I did NOT settle the issue just that once. The same old resentments or bitterness would arise again the next day, or the next week. Conventional wisdom -- what I tended to read in books and hear from preachers or friends -- was that I must not have truly forgiven in the first place. If the issue continued to arise within me, then I didn't really do it right the first time (whatever "doing it right" means!).
Forgiveness is very daily with me. I have to forgive over and over again, even the same injury or offense. I have to forgive each day as much as I can possibly forgive that day. Daily I have to release the persons toward whom I feel resentment all over again. Some of them are dead and some living. Each day I have to forgive them again, for that day, as much as I can in that moment.
For me, that's what, "seventy times seven" means. Forgiveness is daily. I'll never get to the end of it.
For today . . . bring into your prayer time someone who has hurt you, perhaps someone you have forgiven in the past . . . either to their face or in your prayer. If you have no lingering resentments, that's great. If you do have lingering resentments toward that person, rather than feel guilty over them, simply speak your forgiveness for that person again today. Ask God to help you forgive them, to release them, for today. You don't have to get so grandiose that you are forgiving them for all time. Tomorrow will be different, a new day. All you can do right now is forgive them in this moment. Tomorrow you can deal with it again from the place where you are standing tomorrow.
Comments
Post a Comment