We Christians are constantly in a fight against our flesh and against the schemes of Satan and one of the ways that we can easily step off the path in our walk with Jesus Christ is by having an inability to forgive others when they wrong us. This is something that I have dealt with in my life and still am cautious of so that it doesn’t rear its ugly head again. You may have gone through the same thing or may be going through it right now. One thing is for certain, we must be people who forgive.

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
(Matthew 18:21-22 – ESV)

When Peter asks Jesus the question of how many times we forgive another person, what the disciple has in mind is that there must be a set amount of times in which we forgive others until all bets are off and we no longer have to do so. This isn’t true. Jesus’ response to Peter (490 times) is meant to represent a number that is so high for us to count or keep track of that we just need to always forgive. We are to forgive and it is not an option for us as Christians but a command. Let’s examine this parable:

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
(Matthew 18:23-35 – ESV)

As we continue, imagine yourself in the role of the servant who owed ten thousand talents. The king/master is of course the Lord. And the other servants represent all the other human beings on this earth. Now each and every one of us can identify with the servant who owes ten thousand talents because how could we pay off the debt that our sins have caused in our relationship to God.? We can’t and just like the king had mercy on the servant and canceled his debt, so God has mercy on us and cancels the debt of our sins through Jesus Christ. The question is, do we remember this mercy that God has shown us and continues to show us? Or are we like this servant that the parable describes?

Now this servant had his debt canceled but was unwilling to show the same mercy to his fellowservants, who actually owed him far less than he himself had owed the king. Do we show the same lack of mercy to people who wrong us when we ourselves experienced God’s forgiveness through Christ even though our sins piled up into heaven? If you are in this category, repent and do what is right in God’s eyes. Indeed it can be hard but if you trust in the Lord, He will help you to be able to let go of the animosity and be able to respond to evil with good.

The final part of this parable should be a sober warning to all of us. If we believe that we can accept God’s forgiveness and yet not forgive others, then we are sadly mistaken if we believe that God will take this lightly. Consider verse 34. The servant who once experienced the mercy of his king/master, now was experiencing his wrath because of his failure to have mercy on others the same way the king had mercy on him. And Jesus brings it home in verse 35 when He plainly says that if we don’t forgive others, God will not allow us to continue in His mercy of forgiveness. Our inability to forgive can cost us our walk with Christ and put us back into being an enemy of God again. We must be careful.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
(Matthew 5:43-45 – ESV)

When you read these scriptures, they may frustrate you and you may be thinking how in the world can you live up to Jesus’ words. But here’s a comforting thought. We’re not supposed to. We need to give our situations over the Lord and allow His Spirit to work within us and this is where we will see the victory. Many times the last thing we want to do is to do good to somebody who has done bad to us. But this is what is expected of a Christian.

One of the greatest things we can do when somebody hurts us or offends us is to immediately seek the Lord in prayer. It doesn’t matter where you are, just do it. It doesn’t matter if you can’t even pray out loud, just do it. The greatest step we can take to put our flesh in check and to resist the devil is to go to the Lord. And while you pray, open up the Bible and read scriptures that may pertain to your situation. Remember that is something we can’t take on ourselves and if it is left to us, we are going to want to retaliate and want to get even for a wrong done to us.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:19-21 – ESV)

If our hearts are set on vengeance, there will never be a place for forgiveness and reconciliation. And what we learn from Romans is that when we retaliate, we wrongly step into God’s rightful place as the Judge of the earth. People who do evil and do not repent will have to answer to Almighty God and that is far worse than anything we can conjure up.

As believers, what we need to do in regards to those who offend us is pray for their souls and pray that God will have mercy on them and lead them to repentance. Think about the people who prayed for your salvation when you were living a sinful life and hurting those who loved you. We must do the same. This is one of the ways that we show that we are truly of Christ. And how about the Lord? Did He retaliate when He was betrayed, beaten, mocked and eventually crucified?

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [And they cast lots to divide his garments.
(Luke 23:33-34 – ESV)

This is Jesus’ example. Are we following in His footsteps? Or are we vengeful? Are we loving or do we hate? These are questions that we must ask ourselves and be willing to allow God to bring these things to the forefront of our lives if need be. We can not claim to be true Christians and yet hold unforgiveness in our hearts which is in direct violation of Jesus’ character. And secondly, the truth is that we won’t experience forgiveness for our own sins if we are unwilling to forgive others. Let’s take heed to the scriptures:

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(Matthew 6:14-15 – ESV)

It’s as plain as day in the Bible. Are we willing to follow it? This isn’t something that we can get away from or something that God is going to give us a pass on. It’s hard saints, yes I now it is hard but take strength in Jesus and what is impossible with us as mankind is certainly possible with God.

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