Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! (Matthew 18:21–22)

Jesus was not teaching the disciples that on the four-hundred-and-ninety-first time someone offends you that you can then take action against them. Peter obviously thought adding up to seven was a huge display of grace, but Jesus corrected his math using multiplication.

The idea here is that we forgive so much that you stop counting. We don’t add up offenses. We multiply grace and forgiveness. Another way of interpreting this passage is: Don’t keep score, just like God doesn’t with us. When you apply Jesus’ answer to the context of all New Testament teaching, the bottom line is we must forgive others as often as God forgives us.

Is there someone in your life that you feel has or is pushing you far past seven times? In fact, you are thinking right now that they might be nearing the “seventy times seven” range? Picture that person in your mind now.

Listen to The Message Bible’s version of this passage:

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)

I don’t know about you, but I am so glad that God doesn’t keep score or have a “sin quota” that once we go over, we run out of His grace. Doesn’t it make sense that as His followers He would expect us to do the same? As hard as it is, if we want the “seventy times seven” principle applied to our lives, then we must live by it as well?

Let’s pray: “Father, thank you that You don’t keep score with my sin. Please help me to stop keeping score with others. Help me to let things go, I confess I have a hard time on my own strength. Teach me to live in Your grace and share Your grace with others. As above, so below.”