‘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.’ Matthew 18:21-27(NLT)
Thoughts on the message
This is part one—where we see how God chooses to release forgiveness.
How much do we need to forgive people who continue to choose to do us wrong?
10,000 talents was about the same as the whole budget for the Roman government—the greatest power on earth at the time! (Today, that would be like the budget of the US government—trillions of dollars.) This was a debt no one could comprehend or pay.
When the man asked for mercy, The King released compassion and mercy—totally and freely forgave the debt. This is the way God forgives us—our massive debt of sin against Him. He takes it away and we cannot even begin to understand the magnitude of the debt that we owe.
So why do we worry about whether someone needs us to forgive them 77 times?
Prayer
Father, You help us to understand the principle of forgiveness by giving us an understanding of the heart of God. Honestly, I do not think we understand it any better than the servant understood the massive nature of his debt. How could anyone have such mercy? How could anyone have such compassion? My God has that kind of mercy! Hallelujah!
Your mercy comes at a great cost though. Jesus paid the debt in full. I do not understand it; I do not comprehend it, and I do not deserve it. However, I received it. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
from Forgiveness & Marriage—Disciple Makers Series #19