Must Forgive
Read This Week: Luke 17
Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” – Luke 17:3-4 NIV
We live in some challenging times relationally. It appears that many things in our society push us toward spaces, conversations, and environments that promote confrontation and hostility. People are at odds socially, politically, and ideologically. They are contentious and argumentative over issues big and small. With this climate so prevalent, hurt feelings and offenses pile up that require intentional reconciliation and forgiveness. Sinning against one another has never been easier on a daily basis than it is right now, yet it is not new.
Jesus takes the time in Luke 17 to address the issue of forgiveness and what we are supposed to do when someone sins against, offends, or hurts us. This teaching was as relevant to his listeners in the first century as it is to us in our modern, combative culture. He says in verse 3: If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Christ asserts that it is that simple. If someone offends or sins against you, go to them and bring it to their attention. If they respond and ask for forgiveness, forgive them. It sounds straightforward, easy, and uncomplicated but rarely done and is challenging to do on a consistent basis.
Forgiveness can be difficult because it is not just a mere exchange of the words: I am sorry. True forgiveness involves discomfort and pain because applying it means that someone is hurt, and effort is necessary to heal a wound. None of this is easy, but it is possible and doable with the help of the Holy Spirit. He fills us with the love of God that moves us to forgive and gives us the faith to enact that forgiveness so that the Lord can use it to significant effect in our lives. This application of forgiveness is important every time and for every offense. Jesus communicates this in verse 4:
Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times, come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.
It is as if Christ knew the tendencies of human nature. He knows there are always offenses and hurts and opportunities to forgive. He teaches us this process and iterates the repetition of forgiveness because He wants us to get into the habit of facing offenses with the love, honesty, and courage to pardon and accept others when they sin against us and when we sin against them. We are not given a choice in the matter of forgiveness. Jesus did not say we can forgive if we want to. He did not say we could forgive if convenient. He said we must forgive.
Neighborhoods, communities, workplaces, and homes prevalent with true forgiveness are places of grace, goodness, humility, peace, and recovery. May we embrace the formula for forgiveness in our lives and in the environments we find ourselves. We can do our part to infuse a forgiving spirit in our relationships and spaces so that God receives glory and people benefit from the healing and the restorative power of forgiveness.
I love this song shoulders for king and country
Because we need Father God’s help through anything
were going through, we need strength from Him when were facing
difficult situations.
He is right here pulling us through.
Thank you Father God, Jesus and Your Holy Spirit for Your help,
Your love for everyone.
Please help us all to see the Truth, and to trust You as we go through the process and to
remember that your always near us to help us through.
I look up to the mountains
Does my strength come from the mountains?
No, my strength comes from God
Who made heaven and earth, and the mountains
When confusion’s my companion
And despair holds me for ransom
I will feel no fear
I know that You are near
When I’m caught deep in the valley
With chaos for my company
I’ll find my comfort here
‘Cause I know that You are near
My help comes from You
You’re right here, pulling me through
You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness
All on Your shoulders
Your shoulders
My help comes from You
You are my rest, my rescue
I don’t have to see to believe that
You’re lifting me up on Your shoulders
Your shoulders
You mend what once was shattered
And You turn my tears to laughter
Your forgiveness is my fortress
Oh, Your mercy is relentless
My help comes from You
You’re right here, pulling me through
You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness
All on Your shoulders
Your shoulders
My help comes from You
You are my rest, my rescue
I don’t have to see to believe that
You’re lifting me up on Your shoulders
Your shoulders
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it, ’cause I know, ’cause I know it’s true
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it, ’cause I know, ’cause I know it’s true
My help comes from You
You’re right here, pulling me through
You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness
All on Your shoulders
Your shoulders
My help comes from You
You are my rest, my rescue
I don’t have to see to believe that
You’re lifting me up on Your shoulders
Your shoulders
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it, ’cause I know, ’cause I know it’s true
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it, ’cause I know, ’cause I know it’s true
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it, ’cause I know, ’cause I know it’s true
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it, ’cause I know, ’cause I know it’s true
Luke 17:5 The apostles came up and said to the Master, “Give us more faith.”
6 But the Master said, “You don’t need more faith. There is no ‘more’ or ‘less’ in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it would do it.
The Message (MSG)
In our relationship with Father God we start out learning about His love for us.
Our faith increases as we do what?
As we make a effort to do what Father God is leading us to do, we want to do our best as the Holy Spirit leads us.
If you have faith in God even as small as a mustard seed just know that your faith starts to grow more as your going through something with God’s help, as you go through situations with Jesus your faith becomes stronger.
I believe Jesus is showing me that when it comes to forgiveness, we all need help, God’s strength to forgive and ask for forgiveness when Jesus is asking us to do that.
We should learn to be ready to forgive, this is not always easy, what this means is we need Father God’s help, when we realize this and ask Him for help, Father God helps us, He gives us the strength to over come offences, hurt feelings, wounds that took place.
When we learn to be quick to forgive we get blessed, we have peace and love in our hearts from our Father.
Thank you Father God for blessing us with Your Love, that we get to be apart of learning to forgive and asking for forgiveness.
Help us to not want to be apart of the enemy of anger, unforgiveness, unmet expectations, offence, irritations,
be offended by something that is said, especially through misinterpreting the intentions behind it.
thank you Jesus for showing us it all starts with having a little faith in God, knowing He knows everything and He makes all things possible doing it with Him.
This Week in the Life: Luke 17
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This is what I got from Luke 17. Eternity is for real. It is important how you live and show Jesus to others on this side of eternity, because right now counts forever. Do not cause others to stumble in their walk with Me. If someone sins against you, don’t pretend it never happened. Rebuke them in love. It is okay to let them know they hurt you. They might not even realize they hurt you. But also bear with others in love. Do not go to other people about it, and don’t bottle it up inside you. Love is getting it straight with the person who hurt you. If the person repents, forgive them. Even if they don’t repent, you can still choose to forgive them on your part. Wait for My work in their life to restore the relationship, if it is My will. Great faith in Me is needed to get along with others in a forgiving way. You may have unforgiveness and bitterness deeply rooted in you, but My Son Jesus can rip those roots out and replace them with joy and peace. A small amount of faith can accomplish great things. Believe I am a great and mighty God. What matters most is what your faith is in. It is hard work in spiritual ministry. There is always something you can do to serve Me, and there is always a way you can do it. There are still great works of faith to be done. Though you don’t deserve it, Jesus will look at your work one day, and if you are faithful, will say “well done good and faithful servant.” He has done so much more for you, than you can ever do for Him. When your heart is right, you will live and act as if you are happy to have the privilege of being allowed to serve Me.
What this said to me was I can not cause others to stumble in their walk. I can choose to forgive others who hurt me, whether or not they are sorry. I am to truly believe and have faith in God. While we are waiting on Jesus’s return, it is important how I live and show Jesus to others.
God wants us to forgive each other. He knows what is best for our life. Forgiveness can be hard thing do at times, but holding onto resentment will only take our joy away. Ask Father God for help and then listen. Let go of the anger and forgive ourselves and others will open our hearts for Love. ❤️
This week a have a song in Luke 17
Come together
Coming together for the better learning to be The light coming together for the better learning to be the light for our Lord showing others God’s grace and mercy through you and me standing tall with our Lord I want to be God’s light bringing others one heart at a time like a lightning bug shining bright follow me follow the light being restored by our Lord’s grace and mercy his love his forgiveness coming together for the better learning to be the light yes learning to be God’s light spreading his light to others.
Always know got is inside of us be strong Focus on God and be his light Amen.