"As We Forgive Others"

Then Peter came to Him and said, "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" ~ Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV)

Forgiveness is the one thing for which followers of Jesus have been trying to find a good bargain since He walked this earth. Whether it's with people in your home, such as in the picture provided here by Glenn Meyer, or with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, such as in the question Peter asked, so many times we have found ourselves looking for reasons to NOT forgive, rather than just doing what Jesus says. And while we try to weasel our way out of doing what's difficult, forgiveness is the one thing we will not continue to receive from God unless we are willing to hand it out just as freely. The ancient Jewish rabbis taught that three times was the limit when it comes to forgiving someone, for after that you're enabling the offender. This means Peter probably saw himself as overly generous for being willing to do it seven times, but Jesus made it clear that there is no God-imposed limit on forgiveness. It's part of who we are as forgiven and dearly loved children of God. This week at Friendship, we'll continue our series through the Lord's Prayer by looking at the phrase "As We Forgive Others". What does our willingness to forgive have to do with being forgiven? Should we respond differently when the person is repentant versus unrepentant, or when they are part of the family of God versus outside of it? These questions and much more will be answered, so please join us!