Daily Devotional For Sunday, December 28.2025
Note: In each devotional where you see only the reference to a Bible passage without the verse (ex. John 3:16), that is a direct link to that passage online. All you have to do is click on that reference and you will be taken to the verse itself. Thank you.
Good morning Southside. We are quickly approaching the New Year – 2026. This year has flown by. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew and today we come to Matthew 18:21-35. This is one long teaching by Jesus on forgiveness. Therefore, we are going to take several days to honor Jesus’ teachings. Here is the passage below:
“Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ (22) Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (23) For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. (24) When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. (25) But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. (26) So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ (27) And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. (28) But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ (29) So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ (30) But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. (31) So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. (32) Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. (33) Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ (34) And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. (35) My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart’” (NASB).
Jesus’ answer on forgiveness was given due to Peter’s question about it. Why Peter at this point asked Jesus this question we are not told. It may be that Peter finally understood Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18:10-14. The Jewish Rabbis taught that you were to forgive a person up to 3 times, but with the 4th offense, no forgiveness was required by God (see the Jewish Rabbi teaching titled, Yoma, 86b, 87a) where this is taught. It is also possible that Peter had in mind Genesis 4:24, where it talks about the sevenfold avenging of Cain and the 7-70 fold avenging of Lamech. Peter responds with the number 7. Why? We really do not know. It is possible Peter thought he was being generous and gracious. It is possible that since in the first century the number 7 was considered the number that symbolized completeness, Peter chose 7.
Jesus’ answer had to shock Peter and the other disciples. He may have thought, “Why did I ask Jesus that question? I wish I had kept my big mouth shut.” Jesus’ answer 70x7 is not meant to be a number which the offended party is to keep a record of the number of offenses; so that after the 490th offense, no forgiveness from God is required. The Greek New Testament word is [βδομηκοντάκις; hebdomēkontakis]. It literally means “limitless.” The answer is given to indicate that we should never keep a track record of the number of times we have forgiven someone. There is to be no limit from us to another when it comes to forgiveness. Why? If God kept a track record as we tend to do, then we would reach a limit where His forgiveness to us stopped and we would be left in our sins against Him.
If we ever say, “I’ve reached my limit on forgiving this person,” then we really know nothing of the love, grace and forgiveness of God. Once we do this, then we have chosen to hold a grudge and that will eventually cause a root of bitterness to grow up in our hearts (see Heb. 12:15). If we refuse to forgive another, we damage and hurt our relationship to God. We have the tendency to think our sins against God are not worse than another’s sins. In Luke 7:47, Jesus says this, “He who is forgiven little, loves little” (NASB). Meaning we think God has not forgiven us much and so we tend not to forgive others.
The problem with forgiveness is we make ourselves and others the standard by which we forgive, rather than God. Forgiveness is not to be mistaken implying that the sin is okay. No sin is okay in God’s eyes. You forgive and if the person does not confess and repent, then you will have to follow Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 18:15-20. How do you know there is genuine repentance? There is a visible and obvious change in that person’s attitudes and actions that reflect the thankfulness for the forgiveness from God and you.
Here is what I have learned through the years. Forgiveness is not an elective but a required learning. Every Christian must learn this or else face the judgment of God. The concept of forgiveness is easy to understand, but the test to do is hard and challenging. Jesus does not have in mind vertical forgiveness here – forgiveness from God. He has in mind horizontal forgiveness – the forgiveness between believers. This is something that must happen throughout our lives. It never ends until our deaths. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this on this passage:
“Without that forgiveness, we drag along with us long-standing feelings of resentment that will ultimately erode into anger, bitterness, hatred, and mental torment. Unforgiveness imprisons us in the past, locking out all potential for inner peace and freedom” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Bible Commentary, “Matthew 16-28,” Vol. 1b, pp. 87-87).
Assignment: Make a list of your top 5 hurts. Who is it that you must forgive to relieve these hurts? How will you go about doing that and when will you obey God on this? Who might help you with this? If you genuinely forgive the person, then you will live out 1 Corinthians 13:5d, “. . . love keeps no record of being wronged” (NLT). You will not bring it up again nor will you mull it over in your mind. It’s over and so are you with it.
Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 6:14-15, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. (15) But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Please forgive me when I hold a grudge against someone, especially when I have convinced myself I have a right to do this. I acknowledge that when I do this I am sinning against You. Lord, I want to know and experience the joy of my salvation; not be enslaved to grudges, bitterness and anger. Please help me to forgive everyone who sins against me with no limits on my forgiveness. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly