Matthew 18:21-22 "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Peter thought he was being generous and offered to forgive seven times but Jesus told him seventy-seven times. In today's language it would be seventy times seven, this represented a countless number. Occasionally I find myself asking God how often I have to forgive and let go of my hurt feelings and anger - it is especially hard when it is the same person over and over again. My flesh screams, "It is not fair! There are rules and they need to be held accountable! How will things ever change if they are not made to answer for these transgressions? If we just keep letting them get away with it, they will only get worse."
Today I was emotionally raw, so of course I get confronted with a "repeat offender." I felt my neck tense and my jaw tighten. It is so frustrating and unfair. They keep getting away with things and then they have the audacity to feel entitled and justified in their actions. They are acting so selfishly and without regard for anyone else... I have vented to others and I have found a sea of supporters, so I am right, right? Wrong!
I was in the middle of my internal dialogue, telling myself how unfair things were and asking God, "How much more do I have to take?" when I knew God wanted to tell me something. The verse in Matthew came to mind and the parable that followed about the wicked servant. Then I began to see all my sins, just over the past couple days... My anger quickly faded. I was so ashamed and broken.
When we stop to think about things in the terms of "fair," Christians always lose. Jesus paid for our sins - that is not fair. The Bible is clear about the cost of sin, but through Christ our debts are paid. Each time we sin we essentially are sending Jesus to the cross again. How "fair" is that? Next time we feel the pride and anger building inside, instead of seeking justice and our own sense of fairness, let's ask ourselves a simple question - "How many times did Christ die for me today?"
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