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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “Persistence in Forgiveness”. Forgiveness means to cancel a person’s debt of offence or wrongdoings. “Persistence in forgiveness” means continuing to show mercy and compassion, particularly when it is challenging to do so. When a person offends you, he or she owes you; therefore, when you forgive him or her, it is equal to cancelling the debt he or she owes you. In our reflection, we shall focus on the fact that forgiveness has no limit among believers or children of God; therefore, we must persist in forgiveness.

Beloved in the Lord, forgiveness has no limit among believers. 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). Peter wanted to know how many times one has to forgive an offender. In Peter’s understanding, seven times is very reasonable. Why seven times? The number seven was symbolic in ancient Israelite culture. It communicated a sense of perfection, fullness, wholeness and completeness. In Peter’s understanding, if a person can forgive an offender seven times, then the person has fulfilled his or her moral and spiritual obligation of achieving perfection; therefore, if the offender offends the eighth (8th) time and beyond, the one being offended is justified not to forgive the offender but take a retaliatory action against the offender.  Jesus’ reply to Peter increased the number of times a person should be forgiven to seventy times seven (70 X 7). In fact, no sane person would deliberately offend you seventy times seven, which is equal to four hundred ninety times of offence and forgiveness. (490). Others also interpret literally as seventy-seven (77). Whether it is seventy times seven or seventy-seven times, Jesus is teaching us that if we want to achieve spiritual perfection in terms of forgiveness, we must have no limit for showing mercy or forgiveness. Imagine if God had shown us mercy or forgiveness only seven (7) times, who then would exist on the face of the earth? It is for this reason that Jesus taught us to pray, “… forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12). Since God has no number of times or limit set for forgiving our sins, we must also not have any limit set for forgiving or showing mercy to others. We must persist in forgiveness because God always forgives us without counting our sins against us. The debt we owe God is immeasurable and countless, yet he does not count them against us so long as we genuinely repent, so why keep a record or count the debt of others against them? We have no justification for keeping records of the debts or sins of others because God keeps no records of our debts or sins.

Beloved in the Lord, it is sad to mention that some Christians are unable to cancel the debt of others, yet each time we pray the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to forgive us our debts or sins. Some of us have kept records of those who have offended us in our hearts and have developed bitterness and resentment against them for days, weeks, months and years. Out of bitterness, we sometimes pray against these people and their families. Because of our inability to forgive, our relationships with our parents, children, spouses, friends, colleagues at work and church members have been fractured. Interestingly, in our bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness, we come to the Lord’s supper or Communion to take part in the sharing of the body and blood of Christ, which are actually the very symbols of mercy and forgiveness. My dear friend, for how long will you keep holding on to that grudge and harbouring bitterness in your heart against that person who offended you in the past? For how long will you keep attending Church with the burden of unforgiveness in your heart? For how long will you keep carrying this burden of pain and bitterness in your heart? Jesus admonishes us that “…whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25). Let us follow Jesus’ perfect example of showing mercy and forgiveness. After He had been tortured and crucified, just as some of us have been unjustly accused, maligned and hurt, Jesus prayed to God, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Spouses, siblings, work colleagues, neighbours and church members are emboldened to to persist in forgiveness and work towards reconciliation. May the Lord be our helper.

In summary, we have emphasised that forgiveness has no limit among believers; therefore, we must persist in forgiving or showing mercy to those who offend us.

PRAYER

Merciful God, thank you for forgiving our debt and saving us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen us to follow the perfect example of our Lord Jesus Christ in cancelling the debt of those who owe us or have offended us in the past and present. Amen