DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY October 10, 2022
God’s Guidance for Forgiveness
Our forgiveness of others should look like Jesus' forgiveness of us.
Then Peter came and said to Him, ``Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, ``I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ``For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ``When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. ``But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. ``So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, `Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' ``And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. ``But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, `Pay back what you owe.' ``So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, `Have patience with me and I will repay you.' ``But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. ``So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. ``Then summoning him, his lord said to him, `You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. `Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' ``And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. ``My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." Matthew 18:21-35
When someone repeatedly wrongs us, we often try to draw a line at the number of times we’ll accept apologies. In other situations, we may attempt to categorize which offenses we’ll pardon. But Jesus drew no such lines at the cross. God’s unconditional pardon of our sins means that our forgiveness toward others should likewise have no limitations—even when certain behaviors can’t be allowed to continue.
Another issue is the temptation to hang on to resentment for a time instead of forgiving instantly. But when we cling to unforgiveness—even for a short period—Satan can gain a foothold. If the Father’s will is that we forgive, why should we wait?
Forgiveness is painful and costly—Jesus felt every nail, every thorn. But a truly forgiving spirit knows that good can come from the unfortunate situation. For instance, “good” could take the form of God developing our character or perhaps exposing our weakness to drive us closer to Him.
Realizing God is sovereign makes us more ready to forgive. Let’s trust Jesus to remove any desire for retaliation—and to provide us with the wisdom and strength necessary to act in ways that please Him. And when it comes to forgiveness, let’s approach our offender with the intent of reconciling. That means doing whatever God directs in order to get our relationship right—just as Jesus did for us.
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