At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?”Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
-Matthew 18:21-22 (MSG)
In Jewish law, rabbis taught that one was to forgive another person up to three times, but not one more. It was pretty much 3 strikes and you’re out. The idea was that after 3 times a pattern had been exposed and nothing more could be done. Alternately, if you have sincerely apologized to someone that you hurt and they have rejected you all 3 times, then you had done all your were obligated to do as well.
So here we have generous Peter asking if 7 times would be the appropriate amount of forgiveness to offer — more than double what the rabbis suggest. But Christ throws him a curveball when he says 70 times 7 (490)!
Does that literally mean I have to wait until number 490 until I can stop forgiving someone? No… But what it does mean is that we are not to limit our forgiveness at all. Jesus was pointing out that by the time you were up to 490 you would have lost count anyhow, so you’d be better off just forgiving them in the first place.
God, help me to extend forgiveness when it is sought out — the first time.
