Matthew 18:21-35 (CEB)
21 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Should I forgive as many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said, “Not just seven times, but rather as many as seventy-seven times.[c] 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle accounts, they brought to him a servant who owed him ten thousand bags of gold.[d] 25 Because the servant didn’t have enough to pay it back, the master ordered that he should be sold, along with his wife and children and everything he had, and that the proceeds should be used as payment. 26 But the servant fell down, kneeled before him, and said, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ 27 The master had compassion on that servant, released him, and forgave the loan.
28 “When that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred coins.[e] He grabbed him around the throat and said, ‘Pay me back what you owe me.’
29 “Then his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he threw him into prison until he paid back his debt.
31 “When his fellow servants saw what happened, they were deeply offended. They came and told their master all that happened. 32 His master called the first servant and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you appealed to me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 His master was furious and handed him over to the guard responsible for punishing prisoners, until he had paid the whole debt.
35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if you don’t forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Reflection
Time for another prison devotion. It’s about forgiveness and how many times we should forgive someone who asks for it.
Thousands, maybe millions are in prison and don’t even realize it. It doesn’t take steel bars or cells to confine us. Anyone who harbors unforgiveness has imprisoned their mind and heart.
We can’t love as fully or think as clearly as God intended while unforgiveness reigns. How could we? Negativity takes energy. Ironically, our unforgiveness harms us more than the person we don’t forgive.. I know this to be true. It’s a lot easier to talk or write about forgiveness than doing it, especially when called repeatedly to forgive.
Jesus told the disciples how often to forgive. Peter asked how many times, suggesting seven times. But Jesus said, “seventy-seven times.” According to R.C. Sproul, Jesus basically told him, “As many times as it takes.”
Jesus tells us we should forgive continuously and without limit, just as God lavishly forgives us. How challenging. And difficult.
I love how the Apostles responded to Jesus. They said, “Increase our faith!”
Essentially, forgiveness is a faith issue. And a salvation issue. It’s important to realize how God feels and does about unforgiveness. Jesus told them the parable about the unmerciful servant who wouldn’t forgive another servant the small debt he owed him, after the King forgave cancelled his debt, worth millions of dollars.
When the King heard what happened, he threw the servant in jail to be tortured until payment was made in full. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart,” said Jesus.
We need to realize our situation if we don’t forgive. God will do the same thing to is. He really will.
Are we harboring unforgiveness? Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Jesus began His ministry by laying out this truth, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
It’s time to be free of the Prison of Unforgiveness.
Forgiving others isn’t an option—not if we want to be forgiven by God.
How can we do it?
Lord, increase our faith.
by Rick Reed
For Pondering and Prayer
Unforgiveness can, and will, keep us from God. I know it’s not easy to forgive but it’s not an option. Lord, increase our faith so that we can forgive others, how you forgive us.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Please help me not to allow any unforgiveness toward others. Help me not to allow even the slightest speck of unforgiveness to enter my heart. Lord, increase my faith. Amen.
