490

"her sins, which are many, are forgiven"

Luke 7:47

Math today.  Your total is 490.  But it's a spiritually symbolic total.   So do you know how you get to 490? 

Some of you will get this one, so I'll give you a minute. 

Yep.  70 x 7. 

If Jesus had done the math for us ~ which He totally could have ~ He'd have said that in Matthew 18.  Peter asked Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?"  And Jesus replied, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

I wonder what Peter's circumstance was when he asked.  I wonder who it was that was bothering him; sinning against him, as he said.  And I wonder if he thought he was being generous with his forgiveness, saying "seven times".  Like he was thinking that he'd really like to forgive only once; maybe twice for someone he really loved, but he didn't think God would go for that, so he self-righteously upped it to seven, thinking that's what Jesus' answer would be. 

I'm not maligning Peter.  Just saying what would be going on in my head...

Jesus, of course, didn't mean that Peter should forgive his brother 490 times.  He meant that Peter ~ and we ~ should forgive countless times.   That's hard.  Frankly, sometimes just forgiving seven times is hard.  The repetition of a sin against us can get harder and harder to ignore.  

I think the key is to not focus on the number of times you've had to forgive a loved one.  Each time should be as if it's the first time.  Then it's a clean slate, and the next time the infraction occurs, you need to not even remember that it has happened before. 

Complete forgiveness, every time.  That's what He does for you.

~ "Judge not, and you shall not be judged.

Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.

Forgive and you will be forgiven" ~

Luke 6:37

~