The Heart of God

sunday Services

Gathering place 9:30 AM | Worship Service 10:30 AM | H2Grow 10:45 AM

by: Meghan Reed

04/24/2025

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The Heart of God


 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times!'” Matthew 18:21-22 


Thinking about forgiveness seems easy. Especially the kind where someone realizes they’ve hurt you, comes to you crying, and says all the right words. That kind of thing is still hard, but at least it’s clear.


What about the kind where they don’t say sorry. Where they don’t see what they did. Where you’re sitting with wounds they don’t acknowledge, and maybe never will. What do you do with that?


But Jesus comes in with this answer to Peter. 

“Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

No footnote about whether the other person apologized.

No conditions.

Just… forgiveness.


You might agree with me here, but that kind of forgiveness is hard to wrap our minds around. It’s not our default, because many of us want fairness. We want acknowledgement. We want the other person to understand just how bad they hurt us. But forgiveness, the way Jesus teaches it, doesn’t hinge on whether or not someone says the right thing, or anything at all.


That doesn’t mean we excuse the wrong. It doesn’t mean we act like nothing happened. It means we choose to release what we’re holding onto and give it to God instead.


Because if we don’t, bitterness starts to grow. It takes root in places we didn't expect, as well as our thoughts, our conversations, even our relationships with people who had nothing to do with the hurt. That kind of weight isn’t meant to be carried forever.


Forgiveness is a way to loosen the grip of that weight. Not for them, but for us.


Romans 5:8, we’re reminded that, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God didn’t wait for us to realize our mistakes. He didn’t wait for us to apologize or understand how far we’d wandered. He chose to forgive and love us before we ever turned toward Him. That’s the kind of forgiveness God offers, and invites us to extend to others.


This isn’t to say forgiveness is the same thing as reconciliation. Forgiveness is something we can do on our own. Between us and God. Reconciliation requires both sides. It takes repentance, trust, and healing. But forgiveness? That’s a choice we make to stop letting the wound define us.


Sometimes we have to forgive without closure. Sometimes we have to forgive in layers, again and again. But each time we do, we create a space for peace to settle in where pain used to live.


Jesus modeled this perfectly on the cross when He said,

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34.

Despite being in excruciating pain, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Despite having been betrayed, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross by people who either hated Him or were simply following orders. He still, instead of anger or resentment, responded with compassion. Jesus wasn’t just offering forgiveness to the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Him either, he was offering it to all who had a hand in His death, including religious leaders, the crowds, and even us, as humanity’s sin was the reason He went on the cross. No one asked Him for forgiveness. No one said sorry. But Jesus still forgave. He saw beyond their actions to their ignorance, the blindness of sin, the confusion of a broken world. He knew they didn’t fully grasp who He was or what they were doing. That didn’t make their actions right, but it stirred His heart with pity instead of wrath.

So as we walk through pain, the process, and the grace of it all, may we never forget the source.

Forgiveness is not just a gift from God.

It is the heart of God.


With peace and love,

Meghan Reed

Blog comments will be sent to the moderator

The Heart of God


 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times!'” Matthew 18:21-22 


Thinking about forgiveness seems easy. Especially the kind where someone realizes they’ve hurt you, comes to you crying, and says all the right words. That kind of thing is still hard, but at least it’s clear.


What about the kind where they don’t say sorry. Where they don’t see what they did. Where you’re sitting with wounds they don’t acknowledge, and maybe never will. What do you do with that?


But Jesus comes in with this answer to Peter. 

“Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

No footnote about whether the other person apologized.

No conditions.

Just… forgiveness.


You might agree with me here, but that kind of forgiveness is hard to wrap our minds around. It’s not our default, because many of us want fairness. We want acknowledgement. We want the other person to understand just how bad they hurt us. But forgiveness, the way Jesus teaches it, doesn’t hinge on whether or not someone says the right thing, or anything at all.


That doesn’t mean we excuse the wrong. It doesn’t mean we act like nothing happened. It means we choose to release what we’re holding onto and give it to God instead.


Because if we don’t, bitterness starts to grow. It takes root in places we didn't expect, as well as our thoughts, our conversations, even our relationships with people who had nothing to do with the hurt. That kind of weight isn’t meant to be carried forever.


Forgiveness is a way to loosen the grip of that weight. Not for them, but for us.


Romans 5:8, we’re reminded that, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God didn’t wait for us to realize our mistakes. He didn’t wait for us to apologize or understand how far we’d wandered. He chose to forgive and love us before we ever turned toward Him. That’s the kind of forgiveness God offers, and invites us to extend to others.


This isn’t to say forgiveness is the same thing as reconciliation. Forgiveness is something we can do on our own. Between us and God. Reconciliation requires both sides. It takes repentance, trust, and healing. But forgiveness? That’s a choice we make to stop letting the wound define us.


Sometimes we have to forgive without closure. Sometimes we have to forgive in layers, again and again. But each time we do, we create a space for peace to settle in where pain used to live.


Jesus modeled this perfectly on the cross when He said,

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34.

Despite being in excruciating pain, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Despite having been betrayed, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross by people who either hated Him or were simply following orders. He still, instead of anger or resentment, responded with compassion. Jesus wasn’t just offering forgiveness to the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Him either, he was offering it to all who had a hand in His death, including religious leaders, the crowds, and even us, as humanity’s sin was the reason He went on the cross. No one asked Him for forgiveness. No one said sorry. But Jesus still forgave. He saw beyond their actions to their ignorance, the blindness of sin, the confusion of a broken world. He knew they didn’t fully grasp who He was or what they were doing. That didn’t make their actions right, but it stirred His heart with pity instead of wrath.

So as we walk through pain, the process, and the grace of it all, may we never forget the source.

Forgiveness is not just a gift from God.

It is the heart of God.


With peace and love,

Meghan Reed

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