A New Nature

January 15, 2008

Matthew 18
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?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

Compare this passage with a passage from Genesis:

Genesis 4
23 Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold."

Lamech was a descendant of Cain. And though God put the protection on Cain, Lamech proclaimed the protection on himself. And the protection was based in revenge.

Peter, a man, suggests forgiving your brother seven times, but Jesus, God, says that you must forgive him seventy times seven. Instead of revenge, forgiveness.

Forgiveness isn't our nature, many of us are like Lamech: an eye for an eye and then some. But we are being transformed into a new nature - Jesus' nature: love and forgive and then some.

Forgiveness is key: continue reading Matthew 18:23-35 and you will see Jesus relate a story that basically says that God has forgiven us a humongous debt, and so we should forgive others for the little debts against us.

Forgiveness or revenge, which do you choose? And which do you want?

*The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.