Forgiveness

Forgiveness

That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.

Matthew 18:35

The story in Matthew 18 offers good incentive to anyone who is struggling with forgiveness. A man had been stealing money from the king, and when the injustice was discovered, it became clear he had embezzled ten thousand talents—probably the equivalent of ten million dollars in today’s terms. This was one proud man. He seemed more upset about getting caught than about having stolen. He actually thought that, given enough time, he could pay the king back. This man would have been in very deep weeds if the king hadn’t been a man of compassion. He took the financial loss on himself and forgave the servant. As a result of the king’s mercy, the man was not thrown into debtor’s prison.

When the forgiven man left the king, he found a fellow servant who owed him a very small sum of money. Grabbing and choking the servant, he demanded payment; and when the debtor fell to his knees asking for patience, the man ordered the debtor thrown into prison until he could pay up.

When the king heard what had happened, he was furious that a man who had been forgiven so much would withhold forgiveness from another. He ordered the wicked servant thrown into jail to be tormented, and in doing so he dealt with him the way the wicked servant had dealt with his debtor.

Jesus warned us that God cannot forgive us if we do not have humble and repentant hearts. We reveal the true condition of our hearts by the way we treat others. Where there is pride and a desire for revenge, there can be no true repentance.^a

Father,

What a graphic picture you give us in your Word of what pride does to us. May we humble ourselves before you, so that we might find grace for ourselves and then be willing to share it with another. Amen.