Hellooo everyone, I hope you are well and looking forward to the post ahead :)
Today, we are looking at a heavy but necessary topic, forgiveness. The topic comes up clearly in Matthew chapter 18, in the parable of the unmerciful servant (the title given in the NIV). It reads:
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 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.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
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 handed 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 or sister from your heart.”
In this parable, we have the king in this story, which represents our Lord, and the unmerciful servant, that represents us. The king has decided to forgive the debt of the servant, but this was not just any debt. The parable says the servant owed the king 10,000 talents, one talent of silver was worth more than 15years of wages, and a talent of gold even more. So just imagine the value of this debt owed to the king! On the other hand, another servant owed the unmerciful servant a hundred denarii, which is simply 100 days’ wages for a labourer. But what does this add to the parable?
First, it is necessary we take note of the difference in the values of these debts. One owed more than he could ever pay off in this lifetime, another owed what could be paid off in 100 days, yet the king was willing to forget it all. The king in this story represents our Lord. He took on a debt for us that we could never pay off in this lifetime. He forgave us our sins entirely and sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins so that we could live eternally with Him (John 3:16). How can we, just like the unmerciful servant, not pass on the mercy we have received? When God forgives us daily? The Bible says in Psalm 19:12, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.” We can never even know the full of extent of our sin. We fall short in ways we can’t even understand (Romans 3:23) and no one is exempt from this. When we show mercy on others, I think it is a sign of respect and gratitude to God. So should we not aim to pass on this sort of love? We cannot think ourselves more worthy of forgiveness than another, as we are all loved by God by the same amount. Don’t be discouraged if you feel as though you must physically push and beg yourself to forgive someone or ask for forgiveness. when we choose to follow Christ, we are saying that we will indeed pick up our cross daily and live a life pleasing to God. To do so we must endeavour to be like Him. I want to now get into why it is indeed so important to forgive.
First and foremost, it is important to recognise that forgiveness onto others is an obligation of ours. Ephesians 4:32 says 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.. When we go out as a Christian, we are representing more than ourselves. We are working for the glorification of something far greater than ourselves. So, we need to be the difference. Say you know someone who has been done wrong by their family. They rejected them and drove them out of their family home. Your friend forgiving their family will catch your eye, right? They have done what most wouldn’t. More of the same is not effective, so our desire to love others and bring them into the kingdom needs to stamp out our desire for revenge. We are the light of the world! (Matthew 5:14-16). This is how we stand out for Christ and let our light shine. We must act like it and represent Jesus by behaving like Him. Let’s get some big picture thinking today.
Something that seems to come up continuously is the heart/ the condition of our hearts. Forgiving from the heart in verse 35, being tender-hearted in Ephesians etc. I think that when you hold Jesus’ sacrifice close to your heart and it is dear to you, you replicate Jesus. In this case, forgiveness becomes possible! The grace God has given us has touched you! Our heart posture is so important because everything flows from it, from our actions to our thoughts. Proverbs 4:23 highlights this to us. To ensure our hearts remain soft and able to see Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we guard it, above all else! Guarding our hearts requires the help of different parts of us, down to even our eyes, which are the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22-23). Taking in and meditating on things that are pure, noble, true, and right which will come from God’s Word (Philippians 4:8-9) deepens your understanding and fixes your focus on Him, allowing you to put into practice what you have seen Him do, teach and declare. For example, forgiveness! Keeping in your heart all of Jesus’ deeds and cares sets you up for success. And with Him, you can do all things (Philippians 4:13), so don’t think you forgiving that person is impossible.
On the opposite side, there is one who remains unforgiving. What can resentment or bitterness do to you? It’s an interesting question, which I think is necessary to address. Verse 35 stood out to me in particular, and I wanted to discuss it. It says, 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Verse 35 is referencing verse 34 that mentions being given over to the torturers in jail. In this instance, the torturers are feelings of unease, unrest, and negative thoughts. The Bible describes these thoughts and feelings as torturous, so please do not underestimate how difficult it can be to grapple with them. Being plagued with them is indeed a form of imprisonment. It can have negative implications on your mental, spiritual, and even physical well-being. Greatest of all, it could cause us to grow further from Jesus. All in all, it is absolutely not worth it.
Well, I’ve said a lot. I pray it is helpful, nonetheless. Remember, forgiveness is at the root of Christianity and Christ’s sacrifice. In forgiving our brothers and sisters 77+ times, (Matthew 18:21), we imitate Jesus. Reading through the Word and the gospels, we get a picture of just who He was and the way He behaved during His time here.
Live in accordance with what the Spirit wants and slay your flesh (Galatians 5:24-25). Keep choosing the Spirit! I pray God will strengthen you as you do so.
Thank you very much for reading, I hope this has blessed you :)))
Truth be told I was feeling a bit disorientated this week/weekend and didn't feel strong enough to create a post this week but I'm glad I did :)
I hope you have a wonderful week.
I love you with the love of God.
Rachel
xoxo
(SOTW: Brighter Day by Sondae ft. Limoblaze)