The Parables of Jesus: Matthew 18: 23-35
Matthew 18:23-35
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of your because you begged me too. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
When I read through this story something jumped out at me. I was reminded that Jesus died to cover my sins thousands of years before I was even born. That means that while Jesus was hanging on that cross He was shedding His blood for every sin I will ever commit in my entire life. He forgave me knowing how I would betray Him; before I ever even had the chance to ask for forgiveness.
And, yet, when someone wrongs us how often are we willing to forgive them before they ask? Isn't it more likely that we plan to make them grovel and beg and convince us of why we should give them grace? And even then, after we have said we forgive them, we often hold on to the offense for next time they mess up so we can rub their noses in it.
I am struck my the thought - “What if God had treated us like that? What if He waited till we died, then made us fall at His feet begging for forgiveness for all the sins we had committed? We would certainly deserve it. But He didn't. He gave us all encompassing grace. Shouldn't we do the same for others?
Pastor Jeff Graham said:
Thank-you Heather for your insights on this subject. I know I do the same thing, by getting mad at other people while forgetting the grace that God has given me. This seems to have hit a nerve in the youth group, and it's a very needed topic!
-Jeff-