Amy and Forgiving the Unforgiveable

Forgiving the Unforgiveable

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but I tell you, seventy-seven times. (Mt 18:21-22)

Forgiveness – a practice so foundational to following the way of Jesus that every time we pray the Lord’s prayer, we ask God’s forgiveness of us, as we pray for the strength to forgive others.

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

But what is forgiveness exactly? What does God ask of us?

If we can’t forgive others, does that mean God does not forgive us?

Some of us have experienced such injustice, pain, violence, harm in our lives or in the lives of those we love that extending forgiveness seems impossible.

Some of us have perpetrated such injustice, pain, violence, harm against ourselves or others that perhaps out of shame or horror we dare not even ask God for forgiveness.

What if we can’t forgive the unforgiveable?