By the Numbers
The number of times Jesus told Peter to forgive his brother in Matthew 18:22 (70 times this number).
7
He forgave his brothers after they threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery in Egypt.
Joseph
Jesus modeled ultimate forgiveness by saying these words on the cross regarding His executioners.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"?
True or False: Forgiving someone means you automatically have to trust them again right away.
False (Forgiveness is free but trust must be rebuilt).
This animated Disney movie character sings an entire anthem about "letting it go."
The total number of times we are told to forgive according to Jesus' math in Matthew 18:22.
490
While being stoned to death, this first Christian martyr prayed, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
Stephen
This famous model prayer includes the line, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
the Lord's Prayer
Forgiveness means giving up your right to do this to the person who hurt you.
get revenge / get even
Holding a grudge and refusing to forgive has been compared to drinking this deadly substance and expecting the other person to die.
Poison
In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the first servant was forgiven a massive debt of this many talents.
10,000
He welcomed back his rebellious, inheritance-wasting son with a massive party instead of punishment.
the Prodigal Son's Father
In John 8, Jesus told the accusers of a woman caught in sin, "Let any one of you who is without sin..." do this first.
Cast the first stone
According to Psalm 103:12, God removes our transgressions from us "as far as the east is from" this direction.
the west
In Ephesians 4:26, Paul gives a daily timeline for letting go of anger, saying, "Do not let the sun..." do this.
"...go down while you are still angry"?
The number of silver coins the second servant owed in the same parable, showing how small our grudges are compared to God's forgiveness.
100 denarii (silver coins)
This Old Testament king repeatedly spared Saul's life, refusing to take revenge on the man trying to hunt him down.
David
In Mark 11:25, Jesus tells us to do this specific action whenever we stand praying, if we hold anything against anyone.
forgive them
Micah 7:19 says God hurls all our iniquities into the depths of this geographical feature.
The sea/ocean
This toxic emotional root is what Hebrews 12:15 warns will grow up and cause trouble if we hold onto unforgiveness.
root of bitterness
In Luke 17:4, Jesus says if a brother sins against you this many times in a single day and returns saying "I repent," you must forgive him.
7 times
This early church leader wrote a whole letter to Philemon, begging him to forgive and welcome back his runaway slave, Onesimus.
Paul
According to Luke 6:37, this two-word promise follows the command: "Forgive, and..."
"...you will be forgiven"?
This 11-letter word means to restore a broken relationship to harmony, which is the ultimate goal after forgiveness happens.
Reconciliation
According to 1 John 1:9, if we do this to our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us.
Confess them