FORGIVENESS

When Jesus was living on earth in human form, one of His young disciples came to Him with a question. He asked, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus replied, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”

The Jews thought that forgiving seven times was all they had to forgive. Peter thought he was being generous by offering to forgive seven times. Jesus, on the other hand, let Peter know that more was required.

Earlier in Jesus’ ministry, the disciples requested that Jesus teach them to pray. In the model prayer Jesus said, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”, Matthew 6:12. Jesus was telling them, and us, that God will forgive us the way we forgive others. Jesus made this clear in the parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:23-35.

In this parable, a king discovered a servant who owed him more than $16,000,000. The king called him and told him he must pay what he owed. The king told him that if he didn’t pay what he owed, he and his family would be sold into slavery.

The servant begged for his life and the lives of his family, and the king took pity on him and forgave him the debt. He didn’t just give him more time, but he forgave the debt completely.

This same servant went out and found a fellow servant that owed him about $17.00. The scripture says that “He took him by the throat” and demanded that the debt be paid. When the man couldn’t pay it, he had the man thrown in jail.

Other of the fellow servants saw what had happened, and they went to the king. The king wasn’t at all happy with what had transpired, and he sent for the servant. He said, “I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32-33 ESV). The king then delivered the servant to the jailers.

What is interesting is what Jesus now says. In verse 35 He says, “So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother ‘from your heart.’”

God forgives His children whenever we ask Him to forgive us. We should be willing to forgive our fellowman whenever he asks us to forgive. In fact, we should be willing to forgive even when he doesn’t ask.

Our expectations of God are so high, but we feel so justified in caring a grudge toward someone who has hurt our feelings or caused us some pain.
Holding a grudge against someone, anyone, will destroy us. It was cause us to become bitter, and it will eat away at us until it destroys our very souls.

We need to read and re-read these passages so that we don’t stand before God guilty of being like this wicked servant.

Sandra Oliver