Devotional

Forgiveness

We often want someone to blame for things that occur in our lives. For some there are too many people who can correctly be blamed for being irresponsible and downright mean. For others, they blame indiscriminately and fail to look in the mirror and point the finger where it is appropriate. This applies to Christians as well as non-Christians.

Whether we are victims of our own or others' sins, our Lord addressed the need to forgive in Matthew 18:21-22. "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."

No matter the origins or deliverers of our pain, when considering the awesome responsibility we have to forgive, it seems too much to wrap our brains, arms or hearts around. And yet, we are called upon to do this very thing. We cannot possibly do it by ourselves.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we read "No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man; and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."

When we cannot do it by ourselves, we must do it through Him. Our Savior died for this very reason -- to forgive us all. Can you imagine Him forgiving every human through all of time seventy times seven? And we struggle to forgive fewer people in our lives and sometimes those in generations past. Jesus is our answer. He is the way through, the escape for us. And yet, I cannot help but wonder when I hear people analyzing and intellectualizing Jesus' death on the cross, how could he have died from any deeper pain than a heart broken  over and over again on our behalf. That is why He came to earth and that is why we must forgive, no matter how difficult it may seem