Dear sisters and brothers in our crucified and risen Savior,

"How many times do I have to forgive someone who sins against me?" That was the question Peter asked to Jesus one day in the hopes of creating a manageable check list. "Give me the specific amount, Jesus, so I can start keeping records and canceling people when they exceed it." Instead, what Peter got from Jesus was an impossible, never-ending task: "There is no amount; keep on forgiving; never stop forgiving."

But hidden within that impossible task, Jesus beautifully weaves the glory of His grace. "You are to never grow weary of forgiving one another because I never weary of forgiving you," Jesus says. This is how God treats you in Christ! So, having been fully and faithfully forgiven by Jesus, He now calls us to forgive in the same way. But that's hard, isn't it? Hard probably isn't even close to being a strong enough word.

You've probably even uttered those words to yourself before, I know I have: "I'll never be able to forgive that!" We have our reasons. The cut was too deep. The perpetrator was too close. The memory too clear. The hurt too real. So that now, our hatred and bitterness are too consuming. The very evil that caused someone to sin against us, has now taken root in our hearts. Oh, what a vicious cycle. Lord, have mercy on us!

So, this Sunday, we'll talk about forgiveness. But, more importantly, we'll receive forgiveness for our unwillingness to forgive others by the One who never fails to forgive repentant sinners. Jesus has woven the beautiful glory of His grace into our hearts by faith and promises to make us new with His undying forgiveness. Freely forgiven, we are now able to forgive that which we once considered 'unforgivable.' Because we know that this is how our Savior treats us...without fail.

God bless your weekend and I hope to see you and your family on Sunday!

In Christ,

Pastor Bater