Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Forgiven to Forgive”
Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.[h] 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Forgiveness is one of those topics easier talked about than actually done. That’s why C.S. Lewis once said; “Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.” In today’s passage, Jesus talks about the nature of forgiveness and that we should extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us.
Peter starts by asking the question, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Peter thought he was being so generous, as it was taught by rabbis in those days that they should forgive up to three times. So Peter doubles it and adds one for good measure. But Jesus responds in a typical fashion: “not seven times but seventy-seven times.” His point: If you are counting, you are not really forgiving.
Jesus is showing us a new kind of forgiveness that should be radical in nature. It’s a kind of forgiveness that takes away grudges and all kinds of record keeping of those who have offended us. He then tells a parable of what forgiveness should look like: The king cancels a debt of a servant worth 10,000 talents; if you add up that amount, it would be about 200,000 years of accumulated debt. This servant turns around and demands money from a fellow servant owing about 100 denariis, which is worth about three months wage. Just think about that comparison! It is absurd to think about the small amount of debt this servant is asking for when he had been forgiven of an unpayable debt.
The point is this: our forgiveness of others has to start by recognizing how much our King – Jesus Christ – has forgiven us of our own sin and debt. We could never repay Him with our good works or our own righteousness. It was our disobedience and rebellion that sent Him to the Cross so that He could freely forgive us. If we do not recognize our own need for forgiveness, it makes forgiving others nearly impossible.
Is there anyone you need for forgive? Jesus knows and understands the wrongs that have been done to us, but He asks us to choose to forgive, regardless of our emotions. We need to understand that forgiveness starts with a choice, not with an emotion.
We need to experience the power of the gospel to forgive in this way. I want to challenge us to take the courageous step of forgiving those who have hurt us—out of obedience to Him. May He show you His grace to enable us to show that grace towards others.
Prayer: Lord, give me the strength to forgive people in my life who have hurt me. Help me to walk in obedience in taking the necessary steps to do that. I ask for Your guidance in this area of my life. Amen!
Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 4 (If you haven’t read chapter 3 yet, read it today 😊.)
One of the first classes I taught was an English immersion class. The school called it “Creative Dramatics.” This class consisted of students with minimal to no English proficiency. There was no set curriculum and the only core text recommended for the class came out of a conversational English workbook from the 1980’s. Students sat in scraggly rows, chanting basic conversational English phrases back and forth to each other. It was painfully loud, the lessons were dry, and the students sounded like sad, monotone robots chanting in unison, “Where-is the- library?” “Turn-left, walk down-the- hall, then- turn right.”
Up until the point Jesus appeared before the tomb, Mary Magdalene may have recognized Him only as a teacher. Jesus must have known this, so He says to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’” (John 20:17). It is as though He was saying, “I’m fulfilling what I came to do. Did you forget I am your Savior? I’m always with you, Mary.” She had now encountered Jesus as risen LORD, living God, and her personal Savior. Her life changed completely. Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the LORD!” Then she gave them His message.
Today’s AMI Quiet Time is written by Claudia Robbie who serves at Journey Church of Atlanta.
For a while, the Lord has been challenging my idea of servanthood and humility. “I’m older, I’m a leader, I disciple these people, I have kids, I’m tired ….” are reasons I give God when I am confronted to serve in a way that I think is beneath my scope. I can get frustrated when others don’t serve, especially when there is a need. But God has been asking me: “Are you the first to serve when there is a need? Are you a servant or a leader?”
Today’s AMI Devotional is written by Jin Ha Lee who serves at Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia. Jin Ha, a CPA, graduated from Drexel University and is getting married this November. Congratulations!
There was a season in my life when I sought advice from many different older brothers and sisters—I would go to this person to get his advice, call this person to get her perspective, and on-and-on. But, I had a problem. In going to many people, I wasn’t really hearing what they were saying, but I was looking for people to give the answer I wanted to hear.