Forget the Math - Love Worth Finding - June 27
June 27, 2025 – Forget the Math
Matthew 18:21-22
Sermon: 5731 How to Heal Broken Relationships, Part 2
Pray Over This
“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
Ponder This
When we hear the call to forgiveness, we often ask the same question Peter did. Where are the limits of forgiveness? When can I let go of the responsibility to forgive? Peter was asking when he could finally be done with forgiveness. But Jesus said, “This is not a matter of mathematics. When considering forgiveness, forget the arithmetic.” Jesus said, “Seventy times seven.” And this doesn’t mean precisely 490 times, either; it means forgiveness to the point of losing track of how many times it has been. If the person repents, you forgive him or her again.
If that is how you forgive, you’re not keeping a record, so every time you forgive seems like the first time. It’s not the seventh time or the eighth time because the other times don’t count. They’re gone. You’re not keeping score. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. So, you forgive freely before it becomes an infection. Forgive freely, forgive fully, and forgive finally.
- When have you struggled with forgiveness? What makes forgiveness challenging? How does knowing Jesus change the way we view forgiveness?
- What does it look like practically to forgive someone fully? Have you ever forgiven someone like that? If you have, what was that like? If not, what steps do you need to take toward full forgiveness?
Practice This
Identify anyone you are harboring bitterness for. Ask God to help you forgive completely.
For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org.
You can also listen to Adrian Rogers at OnePlace.com.
