Matthew 18:21-35. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
We all know that God calls us to forgive our brothers and sisters, yet forgiveness often feels impossibly difficult. It is not that we do not want to forgive; rather, we discover that we do not have the strength to forgive from within ourselves. Human determination alone cannot sustain forgiveness for long, particularly when the wounds run deep and the memories still ache.
Forgiveness becomes possible only when our lives are filled with the answers and blessings that come from God. A decision made by sheer willpower may last for a moment, but it quickly collapses if our hearts remain wounded and empty. True forgiveness flows not from effort, but from fullness. When the love of God fills our hearts, forgiveness becomes a natural response rather than a forced duty.
This is why understanding how deeply God loves us is essential. When we realize the extent of His grace toward us, forgiveness toward others begins to take root. Consider Joseph. He had every reason to seek revenge against his brothers for the betrayal that led to years of suffering. Yet he chose forgiveness, not because the pain was small, but because of his understanding of God’s absolute plan. He said, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5). Joseph saw his life through the lens of God’s covenant, not through the bitterness of his wounds.
God’s love for us is not merely spoken; it is demonstrated. Scripture reminds us that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Our Lord Himself defined love in its highest form when He said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). This sacrificial love is the source of genuine forgiveness. That is why Jesus commands us, “Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He never commands us to do something without first giving us the power to obey.
Forgiveness also grows when we learn to understand people rather than simply react to them. David understood this well. He knew that Saul was being tormented by an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14). Instead of responding with hatred or revenge, David responded with compassion, honoring Saul as God’s anointed and continuing to forgive him even when his own life was at risk. David looked beyond Saul’s actions and discerned the deeper spiritual condition behind them.
In the same way, we must learn not to be deceived by outward behavior alone. When we look at others through the lens of the gospel, we begin to see wounded souls, confused minds, and broken hearts. We learn to ask why people think and act the way they do. As we do, God grants us wisdom and enlarges our capacity to forgive. Judgment is replaced by compassion, and resentment is transformed into intercession.
Jesus teaches us that forgiveness is not passive; it requires action. We are called to take the first step toward reconciliation. He said, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there… First go and be reconciled to them” (Matthew 5:23–24). Forgiveness matters so deeply to God that He places it above acts of worship. We forgive first because God loved us first (1 John 4:19).
Forgiveness is also evangelistic in nature. When we forgive, we may become the channel through which God rescues someone from spiritual death. Scripture teaches that bringing a wandering soul back to the truth can save them and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19–20). Forgiveness opens doors for healing, repentance, and restoration.
As we live in the abundance of God’s grace and remain rooted in His love, we discover that forgiveness is not limited. Jesus teaches us to forgive “not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” This is not a number to count, but a way of life grounded in grace. God has loved us with an everlasting love and drawn us with unfailing kindness (Jeremiah 31:3), and from that love flows the power to forgive continually.
To forgive is to let go. When we come before our Father, He does not merely forgive; He forgets. He declares, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25). In the same way, forgiving others releases us from the prison of bitterness. Holding on to resentment harms us far more than it harms those who hurt us. Freedom enters our hearts the moment we forgive.
Jesus emphasized this truth repeatedly. He taught that forgiving others opens the door for us to experience the fullness of the Father’s forgiveness (Matthew 6:14–15). He urged us to forgive even as we pray, so that nothing blocks our fellowship with God (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4). Forgiveness is not optional for the believer; it is essential for spiritual health and intimacy with God.
By grace, God has placed us in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Through the blood of Christ, we have been cleansed from all sin and declared blameless before Him. We stand before God as those who have been completely and unconditionally forgiven. When we forgive others, it becomes our glory (Proverbs 19:11).
God uses forgiveness as a doorway to the future, lifting our eyes beyond present pain and positioning us for His greater purposes. Through forgiveness, He prepares us to bear witness to Christ, even to the ends of the earth.
Prayer. Father, heal my unforgiving heart. Fill me with the fullness of Your love, the assurance of salvation, and the peace of Your kingdom. As You have forgiven me, give me the grace to forgive others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.