how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?
Lord, it gets harder each time. It becomes less and less reasonable to forgive when nothing changes. Seven times already seems like a lot. The people we forgive really ought to change by the seventh time, hadn't they?
I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
Lord, you say to forgive without limit. We are not to forgive in to the end that we mechanistically achieve a change in others. We are to forgive because we have no right to hold anything against anyone. We ourselves are debtors to you far more than anyone is indebted to us.
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
We come before you owing a huge amount. We are have no way to pay this debt that we owe you. And without you our debt continues to spiral out of control. We go well past seventy-seven times for which we need your mercy. But even so, while we are yet sinners you love us. In spite of our debt you die for us (cf. Rom. 5:8). While we crucify you you plead to the Father for us. You ask him to forgive us (cf. Luk. 23:34).
If we were in your place, LORD, we might be willing to forgive the first lash of the whip. We might be willing to forgive the first time we are mocked. We might turn the other cheek one time. But as the weight of all sin bears down upon you we would quickly harden our hearts. We secretly believe that our forgiveness at those early stages ought to spare us this suffering. But it may not. Yet only forgiveness can make this suffering meaningful. If the cross is suffered by a heart in wrath and set against us it only condemns. But the cross endured by your heart of mercy brings forth mercy for us.
You call us to see past our superficial approach to forgiveness. You call us to have our hearts truly transformed. You call us to a forgiveness from the heart that is pure of selfish motives.
When we are caught up in the fire of passion and the heat of the moment we have a hard time forgiving from the heart. Let us pray like Azariah.
Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud
When we are caught up in the fire we need humility to dampen the flames.
But with contrite heart and humble spirit
let us be received;
This is our defense against the flames that can otherwise consume us. This is how we can forgive even from the cross. We don't have the strength for this forgiveness in ourselves. But you delight to give your strength to those who trust in you.
So let our sacrifice be in your presence today
as we follow you unreservedly;
for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you.
These are the ways you long to teach us Lord. You insist that we have mercy on our brother so that you have no obstacles preventing you from remembering your mercy for us.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
You want to show us your way, Lord. It is a way of unreasonable forgiveness and unquenchable mercy. We are trapped in superficial notions of forgiveness. "Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord."
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