The power of friendship: Getting Real: forgiveness & reconciliation

Last Sunday we concluded our series “The Power of Friendship,” looking at the topic of forgiveness.

In Matthew 18:21–35, Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Forgiving someone seven times was a very generous offer, but Jesus replied, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

To illustrate how we can live toward others in such an abundant, generous way, Jesus tells a story about a king, two servants, and a huge debt. Could it be that this story still has something to say to us today? We often view forgiveness through the lens of a series of preconceptions shaped by culture, upbringing, religion, and so on. Jesus, however, seems to be telling us that the only way to freely forgive others is to truly understand the debt from which we ourselves have been forgiven.