Tag Archive for: Matthew 18:21-22

Forgiveness Finds A Way

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Matthew 18:21-22 — Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”

Have you been carrying around bitterness and anger because of a falling out with someone… maybe someone in your own family?

Maybe you will relate to Michael’s story.

He hadn’t spoken to his dad for a very, very long time. A painful falling out drew a line neither of them crossed for nearly a decade. I mean, they missed holidays, birthdays, milestones—all of it. And the silence… it became normal. But even when silence feels normal, the hurt never really leaves.

One Sunday, after hearing a sermon on forgiveness, Michael sat in his car a little longer than usual. The engine was off, but his thoughts weren’t. And he prayed, “God, I don’t know how to forgive my dad. I don’t know how to do it, but I know You’ll help me. I’ll try with Your strength.”

It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t confident. But it was a step.

And then—his dad called.

There was no warning. No buildup. Just, “I don’t know why, but I felt like I had to call.”

So, they met for coffee. And what began as a tense conversation, started to shift. The edges softened. Voices cracked. Tears came. Apologies followed. Hugs were shared, and forgiveness was given. And slowly, they began rebuilding what had been broken, one small step at a time.

Michael says, “Only God could have softened these two hardened hearts and turned years of silence into a fresh start.”

And I believe him.

Because somewhere in that moment, one willing heart made room for more than just a single act of forgiveness.

When one heart turns toward God, He can begin healing wounds that once felt impossible to touch.

So, I wonder… is there someone in your life who has hurt you? Maybe more than once.

It would be easy to let bitterness settle in and let silence become your normal. But Jesus invites us to a different way.

Seven times seventy, right?

Not because the hurt wasn’t real. Not because trust is automatically restored. But because forgiveness frees your heart from carrying what God never intended you to carry alone.

Maybe today isn’t about having all the right words.

Maybe it’s simply praying the same prayer Michael prayed:

“Lord, I don’t know how to forgive, but with Your help, I’m willing to take the first step.”

And sometimes that’s where healing begins.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there someone you have struggled to forgive?
  • What emotions surface when you think about extending forgiveness to that person?
  • How does Michael’s simple prayer challenge or encourage you?
  • What is the difference between forgiving someone and pretending they didn’t hurt you?
  • What would taking one small step toward forgiveness look like for you today?

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO on YouTube

SEVEN TIMES SEVENTY TIMES by Chris August

I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born
These walls have seen me happy
But most of all they’ve seen me torn
They’ve heard the screaming matches
That made a family fall apart
They’ve had a front row seat
To the breaking of my heart

7 times, 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
7 times, 70 times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

I remember running down the hallway
Playing hide-and-seek
I didn’t know that I was searching
For someone to notice me
I felt alone and undiscovered
And old enough to understand
Just when I’m s’posed to be learning to love you
Let me doubt again

7 times, 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
7 times, 70 times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

I lost count of the ways You let me down
But no matter how many times You weren’t around
I’m all right now

God picked up my heart and helped me through
And shined a light on the one thing left to do
And that’s forgive you, I forgive you

7 times, 70 times
If that’s the cost I’ll pay the price
7 times, 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way

7 times, 70 times
There’s healing in this house tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around
Yeah, I’m gonna wrap it all around

I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born

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Free to Forgive

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Matthew 18:21-22 – Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

We weren’t trying to be extravagant. We just wanted to build a simple life together. So there we were, walking hand in hand through aisles of home goods, scanning dish towels and cutting boards, picturing a quiet little future—dinner at our own table, slow mornings, a couch we could call ours.

The joy was real. But I wasn’t prepared for what it would feel like to be given so much.

When the showers came, the gifts piled up faster than we could open them. We unwrapped things we had picked out together—yes—but each one felt different when it was placed in our hands by people who cared about us. I felt overwhelmed, honestly. Undeserving. These weren’t things we earned. They were acts of kindness. Unmerited gifts. And they taught me something before we ever used a single one.

Now, a few years in, marriage feels less like a gift registry and more like a full-time lesson in patience. Bills arrive. Communication gets messy. Some weekends feel more like negotiations than rest. And it turns out, even when you love someone deeply, forgiveness does not always come naturally.

But that’s what makes grace so powerful—it is still undeserved.

Two years into marriage, I still think about those boxes. We use the dishes. We burn the candle someone gave us. And we’ve also had the hard talks. The moments when we don’t see eye to eye. The ones where forgiveness is not easy or quick. It can feel easier to hold onto frustration than to lay it down.

But then I remember: someone once gave me something I didn’t deserve. And that someone else—Jesus— paid the ultimate price for me to receive it. Unmerited forgiveness.

That’s what forgiveness is. A gift. Not cheap, not convenient, and certainly not deserved. But freely given. And when I think about how deeply I’ve been forgiven, it softens something in me. It helps me step toward love again, even when pride wants to stay put.

You have the power to give someone what they didn’t earn—just like it was given to you. Grace does not ignore the hurt; it just refuses to be defined by it. What might happen if you gave that kind of love today?

70 X 7 by CHRIS AUGUST | Listen Now

[Verse 1]
I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born
These walls have seen me happy
But most of all they’ve seen me torn
They’ve heard the screaming matches
That made a family fall apart
They’ve had a front row seat
To the breaking of my heart

[Chorus 1]
Seven times, seventy times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
Seven times, seventy times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

[Verse 2]
I remember running down the hallway
Playin’ hide and seek
I didn’t know that I was searching
For someone to notice me
I felt alone and undiscovered
And old enough to understand
Just when I’m supposed to be learning to love
You let me down again

[Chorus 1]
Seven times, seventy times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
Seven times, seventy times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

[Bridge]
I lost count of the ways you let me down
But no matter how many times
You weren’t around
I’m alright now
God picked up my heart and helped me through
And shined a light on the one thing left to do
And that’s forgive you
I forgive you

[Interlude]
Seven times, seventy times
If that’s the cost, I’ll pay the price

[Chorus 2]
Seven times, seventy times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
Seven times, seventy times
There’s healing in this house tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around
Yeah, I’m gonna wrap it all around

[Outro]
I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born

Writers: Ed Cash, Chris August

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