Trespassing Against You Seven Times a Day - Luke 17:4

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “Take heed to yourselves: If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him”, and in chapter seventeen and verse four of his book Luke wrote how Jesus said, “if he trespass against you seven times in a day … you shall forgive him” where we read:

And if he trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to you, saying, I repent; you shall forgive him.

The verse reads, “And if he trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to you, saying, I repent;” Luke began with the words, “and if he trespass against you” or “and whether the fellow believer miss the mark, err, sin and wander from the path of uprightness and honor against the disciple” “seven times in a day” which means “seven repetitive occurrences”, “and seven times in a day” or “and seven occurrences within one sunrise to sunset” “turn again to you” which means “return and come back to the offended disciple”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “I repent” which means “I, the offender, change my mind for the better and heartily amend with abhorrence of his sins”. Luke shared how Jesus presented the condition where a “fellow believer” would “offend and sin against” one of His disciples on seven occasions and “repent” all “seven times” within a day, the offended disciple was to do the following.

The verse continues, “you shall forgive him.” Luke added the words, “you shall” or “Jesus' disciple was to” “forgive him” which means “let alone, let be, free and relieve the offender”. Luke shared how Jesus instructed His disciples who are “offended” to “forgive” “fellow believers” even when they “sin against them” “seven times in one day and ask forgiveness every time”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn a very difficult principle from Jesus. Forgiveness, even for one offense, is difficult for most people. Jesus told His disciples to have a “continuous mindset” to “forgive” so that even if they were offended “seven times” in a single day and each time the person who offends them asks forgiveness, they were to “forgive” them. God is always ready to “forgive” those who “sin” against Him, and even when they do so “seven times a day”, when they submit and humble themselves to Him and “repent”, He is the example of the way He wants all His believers to be.

Next time Luke shares how, “the apostles said unto the Lord, increase our faith” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".