Matthew 18:20-21
“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?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Reflection:
Seven is the number of completion in the Bible. If God said to you, “I love you with a sevenfold love,” then He would be saying that He loves you completely, perfectly, infinitely. How many times will He forgive you? For how long will His love last? He tells you, “Not just seven times. Seventy times. Not just seventy times – seventy times seven.”
God is not speaking in hyperbole. It is not like when people say they will give 110%, which, of course, is impossible (and they probably won’t even give 100%). God is telling you that His love for you in Jesus Christ the fullness of completion. There is no more perfect love. His love for you is giving Himself to you entirely, caring for you completely, every second of every day forever. The love of others may grow cold. The love of others may be unfortunately measurable. But Christian, the love of God for you is seventy times seven.
In Christ,
Pastor Yonkman