The Freedom Of Forgiving As I Have Been Forgiven
BRD REFLECTION 2026
Matthew 18:21–35 and Psalm 68:19–27 (NIV)
(Michelle Koh from Small Group Ministry)
READ:
Matthew 18:21–35 is a familiar passage, yet each reading uncovers another layer of my heart. This time, I slowed at Peter’s question, not because it was new, but because it was so human. “How many times must I forgive?” is a question I have asked in different forms. Jesus’ reply, and the parable that follows, met me with familiar firmness and fresh tenderness. The contrast between the king’s mercy and the servant’s hardness of heart felt like a mirror held gently before me.
Psalm 68:19–27 also drew me in. The reminder that God “daily bears our burdens” settled over me like quiet assurance. The God who calls me to forgive is not asking me to do so alone. He is the One who carries, sustains, and strengthens me.
OBSERVE:
In Matthew 18, I see a God whose forgiveness is vast, so vast that it exposes the smallness of my own grudges. The king cancels a debt beyond repayment, a picture of the grace I have received. Yet the forgiven servant’s refusal to forgive reveals how easily I forget the mercy that has been poured over my life.
Psalm 68 widens my view of God. He is powerful enough to scatter enemies, yet tender enough to lift my burdens each day. His strength is not distant; it is near, steady, and personal. The God who forgives me also carries me.
APPLY:
As I reflected, I sensed God inviting me to look honestly at where I still hold on to hurt—not dramatic wounds, but often a quiet accumulation of small disappointments or unspoken frustrations. These become emotional debts I expect others to “repay.” This passage reminds me that forgiveness is not about minimising hurt but about choosing to release others from what I feel they owe me. This is especially true considering the mercies I have received from God.
DO:
I will bring before God the relationships where forgiveness has been slow to form in my heart. I will ask Him to soften what has grown rigid and to help me release what I have been holding on to. I will choose to walk in the freedom that His forgiveness offers.
PRAY:
Father, thank You for the mercy You have shown me, mercy far deeper than I often realise. Teach me to forgive as You have forgiven me. Lift the burdens I carry and free my heart from bitterness. Help me walk in Your grace today. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
