How Many Times Shall I Forgive My Brother When He Sin Against Me?

Today’s verse is in Metthew 18:21~35

Peter asked Jesus, “How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sin against me? Up to seven times?”

Let us think about the background when Peter ask Jesus about this question. They might live together like a community, eating breakfaset, dinner together, listening to Jesus, walking to evanglizing people out there together. There must be some confilicts when people get so close. Even hasband and wife does so.

Jesus told a story about Master forgive a servent but he could not forgive his brother who owned he 10 pennies and put him in jail and his fellow servent told master. Master said,”I canceled all that  debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”

We could not select to forgive because we did not know how much we own God, and how much he canceled our debts. God want us to understand how much debt he paid for us, he send his only son to the earth and die on the cross for siners like us.

Let us look at next scripture on John 8:3-11

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do your say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jusus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

Do you know what Jesus was writing on the ground? The Law Moses commanded is carved in the stone, but the new law, which is gospel, SIN AND FORGIVENESS, is writed on that moment. The Law Moses commanded was given by God who want them really understand dos and donts but it was not enough, because people have to obey the law, they are in the circle of SIN AND PUNISHMENT. The new law that Jesus bring gave people the power of love so that they can use it to conquer the darkness inside of their hearts.

Jesus said if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. 8:9 They went away one at a time, no one is sinless, no one can condemn other sinners. Forgiveness is not negleting sins. The meaning of doing this is want to let people to understand the Grace from God.

When we pray the Lord’s prayer. Metthew 6：12, It is said, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgive our debtors. If we can not forgive our brothers and sisters, how can God’s forgiveness come down upon us? We are just like that unmerciful servant, we forget the forgiveness and mercy from God to us.

Here Peter said one of his fellow servent sin against him, his focus is that sin again him, not other people, nor sin against God. Look at Joseph in Genesis who said how then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? We see Joseph’s vertical faith. Rather than horizental thinking, always think about how God will look at me if I sin like that.

I think Peter finally understand that he is not a sinless person who can not comdemn sinners, even the sinless Lord  did not condemn  sinners and remind sinners not commit sins again. What’s more, his forgiveness is unconditional. We usually put some conditions before our forgiveness. If he said sorry first, then I can forgive him.

 

 

How Many Times Shall I Forgive My Brother When He Sin Against Me?