Read Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then
Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against
me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?”
22 “No,
not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven,s 23because
the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who decided to check
on his servants’ accounts. 24He had just begun to do so when one of
them was brought in who owed him millions of pounds. 25The servant
did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a
slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had, in order to pay the
debt. 26The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘Be patient
with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay you everything!’ 27The king
felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.
28 “Then
the man went out and met one of his fellow-servants who owed him a few pounds.
He grabbed him and started choking him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said. 29His
fellow-servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay
you back!’ 30But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail
until he should pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had
happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything. 32So
he called the servant in. ‘You worthless slave!’ he said. ‘I forgave you the
whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to. 33You should
have had mercy on your fellow-servant, just as I had mercy on you.’ 34The
king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished until he
should pay back the whole amount.”
35 And
Jesus concluded, “That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you
unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Think
Even though the previous
passage acknowledges the inevitability of conflict and division - the two
passages next to it remind us to practice grace.
Pray
Lord help me to forgive as
you have forgiven me.
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