The Lord is doing it again. Threading seemingly unrelated incidences together to present a big picture of kingdom life. We studied the parable of the unforgiving servant on Sunday in Bible study. My pastor figured it out that the servant owed the king about 105 million dollars. I don't know about anyone else, but there would never be a way for me to repay that kind of debt. It's the same way with my sin, no way I could ever repay God for all the things I do wrong. That fact that He forgives is amazing and wonderful and awesome. My Pastor also figured out the the fellow servant only owed the first one about 15,000 dollars.
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
Then during worship we sang one of my favorite songs. Our sins, great and small, many or few have been washed away. We have been given entrance into the very presence of our holy, heavenly Father, acceptance into His family as sons and daughters and life eternal in His Heaven. All because we are forgiven our sin debt! This song personifies the feelings of the one who was forgiven a great debt that they could never repay. How joyful should we be? I love the way God strings things together!
A response from us is expected, we are called to do the same. We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven. And honestly, why shouldn't we? I figure, who am I, one who has been forgiven so much, that I should hold a grudge against anyone. Even right now, someone did something that hurt my feelings and I am bringing it to God and letting it go. It's not always easy, but it is a command from the Lord.
But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
What a wonderful day, when my sin was cast away from me, as far as the east is from the west. Can we be anything but grateful? Can we be anything but forgiving in return? Some things may seem easier to forgive than others. And a lot of times our emotions get in the way. But we are to walk by faith and do what the Lord tells us. Obedience, even when it's hard (or maybe especially when it's hard) will only bring blessing and peace to our lives.
Lord, thank You for washing away the dark stain of sin from my account, cleansing my heart, my life. Help me to see others with the same mercy You have shown me. I truly am blessed by Your kindness and grace.
If you need to forgive someone, take it to the Lord. Don't wait for feelings, be obedient. It may not feel great at first, but it's what we are called to do.
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