SCRIPTURE: Matthew (NIV) 18:32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
OBSERVATION: Jesus was telling the story of a servant whose master had forgiven him a huge debt. Later it was reported to the master that this same servant had refused to forgive a much smaller debt and had his debtor thrown in prison until he paid. The servant did not consider the master’s generosity sufficient to cover the debt the other servant owed him. The above verses give the master’s response.
APPLICATION: The Holy Father God considers Jesus’ death to be more than sufficient payment to cover all my sins against Him. It honors Him when I consider Jesus’ death to be more than sufficient payment to cover all the sins of others against me! Forgiven, I forgive!
To say, “I cannot forgive just as He forgives,” is to ignore the presence of the Great Forgiver living in me! He is not requiring of us something He has not done for us nor something He will not do through us.
REMEMBER: Forgiving is a choice; forgetting is a process! When I remember an offence, I must remember it as forgiven and use it as an opportunity to give praise to God for what He has done for me.
PRAYER: Lord, I “show forth your death” when I consider your death as sufficient payment for sins against me. May you be glorified in my life. Amen
Pastor Leon
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