Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35
Date: June 21 2009
Last Updated: December 5, 2009
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 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, cancelled 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 cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 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."
Matthew 18:21-35
"Forgive, Forgive, how many times will I have to forgive you? You hurt me time and time again, and you take my forgiveness for granted, you treat it like an allowance to hurt me again. You hurt me knowing I would forgive you anyways. Sometimes, you don't even say sorry. You don't deserve my forgiveness."
Everyone's been hurt by someone they love and trust at one point in their lives. And everyone has been the one to cause the pain too.
Forgiveness is hard. Letting go of the hurt is hard. And trusting them not to hurt you again is even harder. But "unforgiveness" is painful. Holding on to the pain is unbearable, heavy. And always having your guard up is tiresome.
I've been hurt by many people; sometimes they are unaware that they have caused me pain, and others know and do it anyways.
And I ask God, "Why should I forgive them this time, why should I put this behind me and give them a clean slate. How many times will I have to forgive them?"
You know what He says? "Why should I forgive you? Why should I put your sins behind me and give you a clean slate each and every time. How many times will I have to forgive your sins? You don't deserve my forgiveness, and neither do anyone else. But I do it anyways, because I love you and I love them. Not because of what you have done, but because of the grace I have given to you. And if you are my child, if I live in you, the same love I have is the love that lives in you. If someone hurts you seven times, forgive them seven times. If someone hurts you seventy times, forgive them seventy times. If you forgive those who trespass against you, I will forgive you too."
The same way God forgives us, we are to forgive others. We are to forgive but not be fooled. Don't let the sun go down on your anger but if someone is untrustworthy, maybe you should tell them that you can't be their friend. If it really hurts to be their friend, tell them "I forgive you, I am no longer angry towards you, if you need me I will be there, but you hurt me too much, and if you don't regard me as a friend to not hurt me this way, then we should end our friendship."
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