The Daily Nugget

Hi all

As Christians one of the things we all struggle with is forgiveness especially if we have been hurt by someone who we have had to forgive more than once  in the past. and the pain is still raw if we have forgiven this person numerous times before. However Jesus explains this is what we should do, just before telling the parable of the unforgiving servant(Matthew 18:23-35) Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother who sins against him and asks should it be seven times ? But Jesus answers seventy seven times(Matthew 18:21-22)  Peter thought that he was being generous by suggesting seven times  because the rabbis of the day,taught that it was unnecessary to forgive more than three times and used  scripture from the book of Amos to support their belief for example Amos 1:3 which says “Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment”, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron”.Therefore in the minds of the Rabbis of the day  as God forgave Israel’s enemies only three times, it was presumptuous and unnecessary to forgive anyone more than three times.What Jesus told Peter however is that there is to be no limit to forgiveness. This can be quite a challenge to all believers, one which we can achieve only with the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us.

Be Blessed and Encouraged  

Be Forgiving and Merciful

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

(Matthew 5:7)

14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.(

Matthew 6:14-15, NASB)

We have all heard the saying “an eye for an eye” and it is mainly used to justify some form of retaliation. The phrase comes from a passage in the book of Exodus(21:22-25), but it is not meant to justify retaliation but to limit it. In other words, punishment was to be limited to what was appropriate in light of the damages incurred. In Jesus day the standard set in Exodus was being used to justify using retaliation instead of forgiveness. When Jesus preached the  Sermon on the Mount(Matthew chapters 5-7) He raised the standard when it comes to responding to those who have injured us. Instead of retaliating with vengeance, Jesus said we should forgive those who have harmed us. Yes, wrongdoing deserves a response. But Scripture teaches that we are to leave judgment to God and our response should be one of mercy and forgiveness (Romans 12:19-20). The best way to think about mercy is the withholding of punishment that is deserved. Jesus said the merciful will be blessed by receiving mercy themselves. Next time we think we have been wronged by someone lets show that person forgiveness and mercy even though they don't deserve it, afterall God has shown all of us mercy that we don't deserve by forgiving us our sins.Forgiveness has a way of bearing fruit that retaliation is unable to do.