Cargo's: On Forgiveness

Peter once asked Jesus, "Are we to forgive seven times?" Jesus answered him, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." What can be lost in translation is the significance of the number seven. In the ancient world, seven was understood as the number of perfection or completeness. So when Peter asks about forgiving seven times, he is really asking, "Are we expected to forgive perfectly?"

Jesus' response takes that idea and pushes it even further. By multiplying the number, He is not setting a limit, but removing one. He is telling His disciples that forgiveness is not meant to be counted. They are to forgive beyond what seems reasonable, beyond what feels complete, beyond what feels humanly possible.

In other words, Jesus is teaching that His disciples must always be in the process of forgiveness. When someone has hurt us deeply, forgiveness rarely happens all at once. It often begins by asking God for the grace to forgive and then making a deliberate choice to forgive. It can be helpful to actually say it in prayer or even write it down, something as simple as, "Lord, I choose to forgive my friend for hurting me in this way." That first act may loosen the anger, but it may not remove it completely. We may need to return to that prayer again and again. Forgiveness is a process, and as we enter into that process, God's grace slowly brings healing.

We are called to forgive for several reasons. First, it is what Jesus commands us to do. He tells us that as we forgive others, the Father will forgive us. Forgiveness also allows us to live a life of love. We are made for love, and forgiveness is central to love. When we forgive, we become more fully who God created us to be.

Jesus also wants us to live life to the fullest. When we hold on to anger or resentment, it begins to shape how we see everything. Over time, that anger poisons our hearts and limits our freedom. Forgiveness releases us from that grip. It allows us to live again and to love more fully again.

So ask yourself today, are you holding on to anger? Is there a grudge that has taken root in your heart? This season is the time to let it go. Ask Jesus for the grace to forgive, and then take the step of forgiving. Trust that God will do the rest.