Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?

Matthew 18:21-35

just walk away

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.  That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.  When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.  Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.  At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'  Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.  When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount.  He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.'  Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'  But he refused.  Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.  Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.  His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant!  I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.  Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?'  Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.  So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."

Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? 

Lord,

FA comes to mind.  I know I am so close to being there with the forgiveness but I am not quite there.  Lord, I want the peace that I know it will give me.  I want to let it all go.

Then you have to let it go.  Give up your desire for reconciliation.  That is the only thing holding you back.  If it is to be, it will be.  But that hope, hope in him is holding you back from the complete healing.  You have done all you can.  You’ve asked for and received forgiveness from me for all your part in the months that followed.  You’ve asked him, back then and that’s all you can do.  Trust that I have forgiven you and that whatever he feels or doesn’t feel, that wherever he is with this at this point is all about him and his brokenness.

You can continue to pray for him.  Always pray for him but let it go.  Don’t worry about asking him to forgive you or to make a plea for his understanding.  That is the only bond that keeps you attached in any way.  Let those ties dissolve like a string made of sugar stretched across the sea.  Let it fall and dissolve in the water.  Cut the tie and let him go his way and you go yours in peace.  Keep praying and lowering it and it will be submerged and gone and the pull, the tightness of the line will fade.  Nothing will be holding you back any longer.  There will be no restraint, nothing to keep you stuck in that same place where you've been trampling the ground and become stuck in the muck.  You will be able to kick off your shoes and walk away, barefoot and free.