[Peter approached
Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if
my brother sins against me,
how often
must I forgive him?
As many as seven
times?”
Jesus answered, “I say
to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.] (Mt. 18:21-22)
How great is God’s
mercy? How willing is He to forgive? AND How selective is our mercy? How
unwilling are we to forgive? Though we may not articulate the point as
St. Peter did, I think many of us harbor a similar sentiment—what is the
minimum amount of forgiveness and mercy I am expected to extend? Jesus
expresses God’s readiness to forgive, and commands His disciples (and us) to do
likewise.
Showing mercy towards
those who have offended us is tough enough, but accepting mercy extended to us
by God can sometimes be even more difficult. “How can God forgive me for
what I’ve done? Can He really forgive me?” I think this is precisely why
we have a hard time forgiving others—we haven’t accepted God’s forgiveness of
our own sins. “If God can’t forgive me, I can’t forgive others. I can’t give
what I haven’t received.”
God is more than
willing to forgive and desires to forgive. Jesus makes this clear by His
words today and His actions on Good Friday as He exclaims from the cross,
“Father forgive them. They know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34).
Why haven’t you
allowed God to forgive a certain sin(s) you’ve committed? Do you fear God’s
boundless love? Spend some time with Jesus today and explore your heart and
His. Be honest with yourself and Him. Allow Jesus to meet you in the
uncomfortableness, and begin to experience His love and mercy.
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