Devotional
Peter thought he was being generous when he asked Jesus if forgiving seven times was enough. In his culture, forgiving three times was considered the standard. Seven times? That seemed incredibly gracious. But Jesus’ response shattered Peter’s scorecard mentality: ‘Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’ Jesus wasn’t giving Peter a new number to count to. He was saying, ‘Stop counting altogether.’ This is where many of us struggle with forgiveness. We treat it like a transaction – they hurt us, we forgive them, and now they owe us good behavior. We keep mental tallies: ‘I’ve forgiven them twice already, and now they’ve done it again!’ We act like forgiveness is a limited resource that we’ll eventually run out of. But Jesus teaches us that forgiveness isn’t transactional. It’s not about keeping score or setting limits. Forgiveness is a disposition of life – a way of being that flows from understanding how freely Christ has forgiven us. Think about God’s forgiveness toward you. Has He ever said, ‘That’s it, I’ve forgiven you enough times’? Has He ever kept a running tally of your failures and cut you off when you reached your limit? Of course not. His forgiveness is limitless, unconditional, and freely given. When we truly grasp the depth of God’s forgiveness toward us, it changes how we forgive others. We stop asking, ‘How many times do I have to forgive them?’ and start asking, ‘How can I extend the same grace I’ve received?’ This doesn’t mean we become doormats or ignore patterns of harmful behavior. It means we approach relationships with hearts that are quick to forgive, slow to anger, and generous with grace. We forgive not because people deserve it, but because Christ has forgiven us.
Bible Verse
‘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?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”‘ – Matthew 18:21-22
Reflection Question
What ‘scorecards’ are you keeping in your relationships, and how might God be calling you to throw them away?
Quote
“Forgiveness is not a transactional issue. Forgiveness is a disposition of your life because Jesus Christ has freely forgiven you.” -Pastor Jerry Madden
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for keeping score when You never do. Help me to forgive as freely as You have forgiven me. Remove the transactional mindset from my heart and replace it with a disposition of grace. Amen.