Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Matthew 18:21-35
by: Jasmine Lynch.
All of us seek forgiveness and mercy from others, but are we in the habit of showing mercy and forgiveness? Peter thought he was being generous by offering to forgive his brother seven times—the perfect number. The rabbis taught that forgiving three times showed your forgiving spirit. Imagine how shocked Peter was when Jesus said we should forgive “seventy times seven” (v.22). The point is, forgiveness and mercy should be freely given without keeping score. Jesus painted a picture of the Kingdom of Heaven by contrasting a servant’s attitude when mercy was extended to him with that same servants attitude when he had an opportunity to extend mercy to a fellow servant. Members of God’s kingdom must show mercy.