Then 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.”

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭37‬-‭38‬
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

How can we, at the same time, not judge and speak the truth? How do we hold a standard of righteousness and still be gracious and show unconditional love?

These are questions I wrestle with and I believe are front and center of the deceptions we see at play in our world today,

The question of forgiveness is not a question of how many times we are to forgive. There is no standard, measure, allotment, or quota of forgiveness that we have with God. And as his followers, there is also no standard number of times we should forgive others. Forgiveness, therefore, is to be treated as a mindset and a life discipline, not merely a required task.

When I speak the truth in love and am ridiculed for it, I then have a choice to make: Will I forgive or will I hold a grudge?

Actually, the choice is also a choice of seeing life clearly: Will I be brutally honest about the depths of my own sin and the massive amount of grace and mercy I needed for Jesus to rescue me? If so, forgiving others is much easier.

Forgiveness is more about perspective than a rule to follow.

Do I want to be judged for all of the sins I have committed? I do not. Then I must not pass judgment on others. (This does not mean I should be passive about sharing the truth. It is loving to warn a family member or friend if you see them heading down the wrong path. I would want others to warn me and help me correct my way, if I were doing this.)

So then I must forgive, if I want to be forgiven. Why is this? Because a true and devoted follower of Jesus is honest about their need for a Savior and seeks to have a heart for the lost as their Savior does.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬)

And finally, I should give generously of my time, my resources, my talents, and especially (in context) in forgiveness. Generous hearts give lots of forgiveness!

Lord, help me to work through the hardship, hurtful actions, and challenges and give me a heart of forgiveness towards those who come against me for speaking the truth of your Word or for living a life in accordance with your Word. Your Word is a bright light and a fulfilling life source to me!