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Eyes Up - part 11 - For You

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“...where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord....
Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

The topic of this post will be found in the following verses from Matthew:

“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

Peter is trying to figure out how much forgiveness is too much. He figured that forgiving someone seven times would be more than enough. But Jesus quickly turns Peter’s thoughts of forgiveness upside down when He responds with 490 times. Peter’s jaw probably hit the dirt after hearing this astronomical number that came for the mouth of Jesus. 490 times! Wow!

Peter probably even said to Jesus “You’re joking right?” or “You can’t be serious!” I can bet that Jesus just looked at his strong-willed disciple and said “Oh, you bet I’m serious! Just watch!”

But this got me to think that Jesus using such a crazy number to illustrate forgiveness wasn’t about the number - but the principle behind the number. Jesus doesn’t want was to forgive people a certain amount of times and then stop. He wants us to continually forgive people. When we have our eyes up and focused on how Jesus showed forgiveness, we can see that this is very true.

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” - Luke 23:32-34a NIV

As Jesus hung on the cross and looked down at the mass of people that had gathered to see the crucifixion and said “Father, forgive them.” He looked down at the people - then who were friends, them who were foes, them who were family, them who knew him, and them who had no clue. Them who walked with him and them who didn’t. Them who murdered. Them who stole. Them who abused. Them who are addicted. People of all walks and ways of life were gathered at the foot of the cross to see Jesus crucified. And He still said - knowing all of this - “Father, forgive them.” There were no limits and no exceptions. Just forgiveness.

But when Jesus said those words from the cross, He wasn’t just looking at the crowd present before Him. He was looking ahead. He was looking to generations to come. “Father, forgive them” broken the limits of time and is meant for ALL of us.

Jesus didn’t pick and choose who He would forgive then and He doesn’t now!

But we do. When I comes to forgiveness, we don’t always have our eyes up. We see and feel what they did and we feel like they don’t deserve it. But I have news for you - neither did you and neither did I. We don’t deserve the forgiveness of Jesus. But Jesus knew we needed it and sometimes people just need forgiven.

But forgiveness doesn’t take the pain away. Forgiveness doesn’t take the memory away. Forgiveness doesn’t change what happened. Forgiveness doesn’t help the offender any. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you are ok with what happened.

Forgiveness is for you.

The forgiveness that Jesus offers to everyone is FOR YOU.

Forgiveness that you offer to others is FOR YOU.

If we hold on to what people did to us and sit and stew over for too long (or even at all) we will begin to rot on the inside. Holding back forgiveness will rot us from the inside out. But when we choose to forgive someone and let go of that - turn it over to Jesus - there is liberation there. We become free. We are set free from carrying around “what they did to me”.

Forgiveness is FOR YOU!

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” - Colossians 3:13 NIV
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