Greetings in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
Imagine carrying a heavy backpack filled with rocks. With every offense, every hurt, and every grudge, another rock is added. The weight becomes unbearable, yet you continue to walk, refusing to let go.  
This is what unforgiveness does to our hearts. It weighs us down, burdens our souls, and keeps us from living freely. We know we should forgive, but we struggle because the pain feels too deep, the betrayal too fresh, or the wound too severe.  
Peter understood this struggle when he asked Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). Peter thought he was being generous, but Jesus’ response was staggering: “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22).  
Jesus wasn’t giving Peter a number to count to—He was teaching that forgiveness should be unlimited. But how can we forgive when it feels impossible? What if the offense is too great?  
Today, we will explore:  
1. The challenge of forgiveness and why it is necessary,  
2. How true forgiveness is possible only through God, and  
3. The warning Jesus gives about withholding forgiveness.  
Through this, we will discover that forgiveness is not just an act—it is a process of transformation that frees us and allows us to experience the love of Christ.  

The Challenge and Necessity of Forgiveness 
Matthew 18:21-22  
Peter stood before Jesus, grappling with a question that weighed on his heart. He had likely been hurt before, maybe even multiple times by the same person. Like many of us, he wanted clarity, a limit, a point where he could say, “Enough.” So he asked, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Perhaps Peter thought he was being generous, offering a standard that far exceeded what most would consider reasonable. But Jesus’ response was staggering: “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).  
Jesus wasn’t simply increasing the number; He was dismantling the idea that forgiveness has a limit. He was calling Peter—and us—to a radical way of living, one where forgiveness is not about keeping count but about reflecting God’s boundless grace. Yet, forgiveness is not easy. The pain caused by betrayal, insults, or deep wounds does not disappear overnight. Even when we say we forgive, our hearts often remember, returning to the hurt like fingers tracing an old scar.  
One of the greatest struggles with forgiveness is the belief that it somehow lets the other person off the hook. We hesitate because we fear that if we forgive, the person who hurt us might never face justice. But the truth is, unforgiveness does not imprison them—it imprisons us. Holding onto bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to suffer. It consumes our peace, robs us of joy, and hardens our hearts. Hebrews 12:15 warns, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble.” Unforgiveness spreads, affecting not just us but those around us. It seeps into our relationships, poisons our thoughts, and builds walls between us and others, even those who have done no harm.  
Forgiveness, on the other hand, is a reflection of God’s love. Jesus set the ultimate example when He hung on the cross, bearing the weight of the world’s sin. As He suffered, He looked at those who mocked Him, spat on Him, and nailed Him to that tree, and He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). If Jesus could forgive those who tortured and killed Him, how can we refuse to forgive those who have wronged us? His love is our model—He does not forgive based on merit, but on grace.  
Yet, forgiveness is not just an emotional decision; it is an act of obedience. We do not forgive because we feel like it—we forgive because God commands it. Ephesians 4:32 tells us, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Forgiveness is not about excusing wrongdoing or pretending the pain didn’t happen. It is about releasing the offense and entrusting justice to God, allowing Him to work in ways we cannot.  
Forgiveness is a process, one that we may have to walk through again and again. But as we choose to forgive, we step into the freedom that Jesus has given us. We let go of the weight that burdens our hearts and open ourselves to His healing. Jesus knew that unforgiveness would only keep us bound, so He calls us not just to forgive once, but over and over again—until our hearts reflect the mercy we have received.

True Forgiveness Can Only Come from God
Romans 12:19, Philippians 4:6-7
Forgiveness is often spoken of as an action we must take, yet anyone who has been deeply wronged knows that it is not as simple as making a decision and moving on. Even when we say we forgive, our hearts do not always follow. We may find ourselves reliving the pain, replaying the words or actions that caused the wound, and feeling the bitterness creep back in. We want to let go, but something within us resists.  
This struggle reveals an important truth: true forgiveness is not something we can accomplish on our own. Our human nature clings to justice, to the need for fairness, to the idea that wrongs must be repaid. Left to ourselves, we may try to forgive, but we will always find ourselves returning to the hurt, unable to fully release it. That is why forgiveness is not about our strength, but God’s. Only through Him can we find the ability to forgive completely.  
One of the biggest obstacles to forgiveness is the fear that the offender will not face consequences. We hesitate to let go because we think doing so allows injustice to go unanswered. But God reassures us in Romans 12:19“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Forgiving does not mean pretending that justice does not matter; it means trusting God to handle it in His perfect way. He is the ultimate judge, and He sees every wrong committed. When we forgive, we are not saying that the offense was insignificant—we are choosing to place it in God’s hands instead of carrying it ourselves.  
Forgiveness is not about forgetting the pain. It is about surrendering it. We do not forgive because the wrong didn’t matter; we forgive because we trust God to deal with it. Just as a vacuum cleaner pulls dirt from deep within a carpet, God’s grace can remove bitterness from the deepest places in our hearts—if we allow Him to work in us. But this is not a one-time event. Surrendering the pain to God is a process, one that we may have to repeat again and again. Every time bitterness tries to return, we must choose once more to give it to Him.  
When forgiveness feels impossible, the best place to start is prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 offers this encouragement: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If we cannot yet find the strength to forgive, we can ask God to help us. We can ask Him to soften our hearts, to replace bitterness with love, and to help us release the offense.  
Forgiveness is not a feeling—it is a choice, one that God empowers us to make. As we seek Him, He fills our hearts with His peace, enabling us to do what would otherwise be impossible. It is not our own ability that allows us to forgive, but His. Through His love, we are freed from the weight of resentment and bitterness, and we are given the ability to love even those who have hurt us.

The Danger of an Unforgiving Heart
Matthew 18:23-35
After teaching His disciples about the need for endless forgiveness, Jesus told them a parable—a story that revealed not only the power of forgiveness but also the danger of an unforgiving heart. In His story, there was a servant who owed his master an enormous debt, an amount so great that he could never possibly repay it. Desperate, the servant fell to his knees and pleaded for mercy, begging for more time to make things right. Seeing his distress, the master did something astonishing—he forgave the entire debt. Just like that, the servant’s burden was lifted, and he was set free.  
One would expect that after receiving such incredible mercy, the servant would have been changed by it. But instead, he left the presence of his master and immediately found a fellow servant who owed him a small debt—something insignificant compared to what he had just been forgiven. Grabbing the man by the throat, he demanded repayment. When the second servant pleaded for mercy, using nearly the same words the first servant had used with his master, the response was shockingly different. Rather than extending the same kindness he had received, the first servant refused to forgive the debt. Instead, he had the man thrown into prison until he could repay what was owed.  
When the master heard about this, he was outraged. Calling the first servant back, he rebuked him, saying, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32-33). The master then handed him over to be punished, until he could repay his own debt. Jesus ended the parable with a sobering statement: “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). We also want to remember an important part of Jesus’ first sermon on the mount: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
This parable highlights a hard truth: the danger of an unforgiving heart is not just about strained relationships or bitterness—it is a spiritual condition that can separate us from experiencing the fullness of God’s grace. The servant in the story had been forgiven more than he could ever repay, yet he refused to extend even a fraction of that mercy to someone else. This mirrors our own condition before God. The weight of our sins against Him is greater than any offense someone else could commit against us. And yet, in His mercy, God cancels our debt entirely through Christ’s sacrifice. If we have been forgiven so completely, how can we withhold forgiveness from others?  
Jesus’ warning is not to be taken lightly. Forgiveness is not just an option—it is a command, a direct reflection of the mercy we have received. When we refuse to forgive, we harden our hearts against God’s grace. Unforgiveness does not just affect our relationships with others; it affects our relationship with God Himself. It traps us in bitterness, weighs down our souls, and keeps us from fully experiencing the peace He wants to give us.  
But forgiveness is not just about duty—it is evidence of a transformed life. When we truly understand what Christ has done for us, it changes everything. It softens our hearts, enables us to love as He loves, and compels us to extend grace even when it is difficult. Forgiving others is not about excusing their actions, but about freeing ourselves from the chains of resentment. It is about surrendering our pain to God and trusting Him to bring justice in His way and in His time.  
God’s command to forgive is not just for the benefit of those who have wronged us—it is for our own freedom. The servant in the parable had been set free, but his own unforgiveness bound him once more. We, too, are set free when we forgive, releasing the burden of bitterness and stepping into the fullness of God’s love. Will we cling to resentment, or will we embrace the grace that has been so generously given to us? The choice is ours.
Summary: The Freedom of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is one of the hardest things we are called to do, yet it is also one of the most freeing. It is not simply a one-time decision but an ongoing process, a continual surrendering of our pain to God. Forgiveness does not mean ignoring the wrong or pretending the hurt did not happen, but it does mean refusing to let bitterness take root in our hearts.  
Peter thought he was being generous when he asked Jesus how many times he should forgive. He expected a reasonable limit, perhaps seven times, but Jesus’ response—“seventy-seven times”—was far beyond what Peter had imagined. Jesus wasn’t setting a numeric threshold; He was teaching that true forgiveness knows no limits, just as God’s mercy toward us is endless.  
Forgiveness is necessary because holding onto bitterness does not harm the offender—it harms us. Unforgiveness is a heavy burden that traps us in the past and steals our peace. But we cannot forgive on our own. It is only through God’s strength that we are able to release resentment and choose love. When we surrender our wounds to Him, He replaces bitterness with His peace and enables us to forgive even those who have deeply hurt us.  
Jesus warns against the danger of an unforgiving heart. He reminds us that we have been forgiven far more than we could ever repay. If God, in His mercy, has erased our debt, how can we withhold that same mercy from others? Forgiveness is not about fairness—it is about grace, the same grace we have received.  
This process is only possible through prayer. Just as a vacuum cleaner removes hidden dirt, God alone has the power to cleanse our hearts of resentment. When we let Him remove the burdens weighing us down, He does not leave us empty—He fills us with His love. As we allow Him to heal us, He strengthens us to extend His love even to those who have hurt us.  
So today, will you surrender your heart to God? Will you trust Him to handle justice while choosing to walk in the freedom of His grace? Are you ready to let Him sweep away the bitterness and replace it with His love? True forgiveness begins when we allow God to do the work within us—will you let Him begin today?
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the forgiveness You have given us through Jesus Christ. Teach us to forgive as You forgive, to love as You love, and to release the burdens that weigh us down. Help us to trust You with our pain, to surrender our bitterness, and to experience the joy of living in Your grace.  
In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  (Ephesians 4:32) 

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