Today's Daily Bread

FORGIVING THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US

Date : Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Passage : Matthew 18:21~35
Keyverse : 32,33  
21
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23
"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.
25
Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26
"At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ’Be patient with me,’ he begged, ’and I will pay back everything.’
27
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28
"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ’Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29
"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ’Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30
"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
31
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32
"Then the master called the servant in. ’You wicked servant,’ he said, ’I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
33
Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
34
In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."
Peter asked a question: how many times should we forgive one who sins against us? Peter generously suggested seven times. Jewish tradition taught them to forgive the same person up to three times, which is hard enough in reality.

However, Jesus teaches us to forgive without limit (22). To make his point clear, Jesus told a parable about a man who was forgiven an unbearable amount of debt (24) that he had no way to repay. It is not clear how he got into that kind of debt, but the king took pity on him and canceled his debt (27). However, the man did not show mercy on his fellow servant, who owed him a more reasonable amount of debt (28). He ruthlessly demanded payback. The king was unhappy with such behavior and now held him accountable for what he had owed (34).

Forgiving those who sin against us may feel like we are giving up our rights to be repaid for wrongs done against us. However, according to Jesus, the act of forgiveness is remembering the mercy we have received from our heavenly father (32.33). Would you consider the mercies you have received and see if you can show such mercies toward others?

Prayer: Father, thank you for forgiving me every day. Please help me to show mercy to those who have wronged me and forgive, as I remember your mercies.
One Word: Forgive as our Father has