What kind of heart do we carry—a forgiving heart or an unforgiving heart? We often remember the wrongs others have done to us, but we may not recognise how deeply those hurts affect our own hearts and lives. In this sermon, we explore Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness in Matthew 18, where Peter asks how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. Jesus’ answer—“seventy-seven times”—is not an invitation to keep counting. Rather, Jesus calls us to develop a heart that continually chooses forgiveness.

Through the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus shows the striking contrast between the enormous debt that God has forgiven us and the much smaller debts we sometimes refuse to forgive in others. We have received a forgiveness that we could never earn or repay.

Therefore, forgiveness is not simply something we give to others; it is something we extend because we ourselves have first received forgiveness from God. Like a mirror that reflects light rather than producing it, we reflect the forgiveness we have received from God into our relationships with others.

Text: Matthew 18: 21-35