God of love, help us to know Your love and to love beyond our normal realm. In Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.
Peter knew math and he thought he knew Jesus. When he was a boy, Peter had been taught to forgive three times. This was the way the Rabbis taught it and that seemed a most generous and difficult thing, to forgive someone who trespasses against us not once, not twice, but three times! If you think about it, forgiving someone is very difficult. Be honest about it. If you can remember the most hurt you've had in your life and you think about the person who harmed or offended you, to have (and I hope you have) forgiven them it was tough and to forgive three times seems impossible. The Rabbis taught this as a way to be above normal. So, Peter, having been in the company of Jesus and His ministry, believes that if he doubled that number and adds one to it, he would impress Jesus. To forgive someone seven times seems like a request that goes beyond normal expectation. Isn't that what faith in God is about? Going beyond the human expectations? Well, he presents his math work to Jesus and Jesus says, "Not seven times, but seventy times seven"
We may think, "Lord, you're really making it impossible to be normal!" But that's our call, to go beyond the human and to reach the spiritual height that Jesus has taught. Paul says this is living in the spirit not the flesh. The solution is that we cannot live the spiritual if we do not know Jesus and trust His strength. An invitation to have Jesus' Holy Spirit live in us makes all the difference.
PRAYER: Loving God, come live within me and help me be a person of forgiveness. In Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
