The Cycle of Grace

Have you ever been hurt by someone you trusted? Maybe a friend betrayed you, a spouse let you down, or a family member said something that cut deep. Forgiving once is hard. Forgiving repeatedly? That feels impossible. Peter, like many of us, wanted to know the limit. “Seven times?” he asked. That sounded generous. But Jesus’ reply stretched far beyond cultural norms or human comfort: “seventy-seven times”—a number representing limitless grace. This is the kind of grace God extends to us. Daily. Repeatedly. Without keeping score. Consider the story Jesus shares just after this conversation—the parable of the unforgiving servant. The servant owed the king a debt he could never repay. The king forgave him completely. But that same servant refused to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a small amount. The message is clear: we are called to extend the same grace we’ve received.