Cats In Church

"Then Peter came up and said to him, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?'" 
Matthew 18:21 (NIV)

I don’t like cats, and I’ve often wondered why. Then I came across this explanation in Reader's Digest: "Cats never forgive. Primates like bonobos, mountain gorillas and chimps often follow confrontations with friendly behavior like embracing or kissing. Similar behavior has been observed in non-primates like goats and hyenas; the only species that has so far failed to show outward signs of reconciliation is the domestic cat."

If that's true, there are more than a few cats in the church.

In today’s verse, Peter approaches Jesus to ask how often we should forgive others when they’ve hurt us. Jewish culture teaches that forgiveness is limited: three strikes and you’re out. So Peter doubles that number and adds one more as a bonus, thinking he's giving Jesus a blue-light special.

But Jesus responds with this: "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." He's not giving a math lesson. He's saying there's no limit to your forgiveness of others, because there's no limit to God's forgiveness of you.

Maybe you're struggling to forgive because your spouse hurt you again. Maybe your boss was unfair another time. Or your friend has let you down once more. You're thinking, "How many times do I have to forgive the same person for the same thing?"

Jesus says that when you need to forgive others, remember how he’s forgiven you. When your marriage feels hopeless after another criticism, instead of saying, "I can't forgive again," pray, "God, show me how you keep forgiving me." When that coworker undermines you repeatedly, remember, "Jesus forgave my repeated failures—I can extend that same grace."

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your limitless forgiveness. I praise You for forgiving me, even before I knew how to ask. When I want to keep score of others' wrongs, remind me that you don't keep score of mine. Help me forgive as freely as you've forgiven me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.