Matthew 18:21-22
How Many Times Are We to Forgive Others
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Genuine and unconditional forgiveness is not a common attitude in man's heart...But Jesus went around commonly and regularly forgiving people, when He dwelt among us on earth...How could a man just go around and easily and routinely forgive people of their past mistakes, errors, misjudgments, and wrongdoings?...He did just that, and He knows we sin and will sin again...And this shows the kind of Man He is...He is Divine...How can a Man just forgive others of their mistakes and who they have sinned against without contacting the party that they had sinned or made the mistake or had harmed?...Forgiving was and is a trait of Jesus...And not only does it show that Jesus is Divine, it shows us the importance of forgiving and forgiveness being a part of our own lives...
Forgiving takes the burden off of us and makes for a kinder, happier, healthier life...Forgiving is Spiritual as we read about how Jesus forgives unconditionally and how He died for our sins...When we truly forgive, we truly have no resentments or further blames toward the person or persons who we forgive...Forgiving takes some courage in us and affects our egos...We often dig in when another needs forgiving and does not agree with how we feel about something or when one has harmed us...Forgiveness seems to be a mostly individual solitary thing...One can talk to you about forgiving someone else, but you are the one who must come to the decision and realization that forgiving is the best course and path...As time passes and we are in a position to forgive, time does not seem to heal or help in the forgiveness process -until we actually have said "I forgive you" and truly mean it...And in our journey through life, forgiving is an ongoing practice, because people make mistakes, are flawed, and are tempted...So you will be ask by Jesus to forgive more than just once or twice, maybe seventy times seven...