Category: Forgiveness

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.”

Certainly if Peter was thinking that 7 times would be more than required he is shocked by Jesus’ reply of 490!

Although it may be possible for someone to sin against me more that 490 times in a day, it is highly unlikely, therefore perhaps Jesus used an unrealistically large number to convey that I should forgive as many times as I’m sinned against.

My calling as a Christian is to be like Christ; would Jesus ask me to do something that he would not?  Since Jesus is God, is God not willing to forgive me at least 490 times a day?1La 3:21-26 NIV  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion’s never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Perhaps Jesus said 70×7 because I’m so unaware of my sins that 490 more accurately represents my true condition.2Jer 17:9 AV  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Perhaps Jesus used 70×7 to give me a clue how His sacrifice will far outweigh the sin of mankind.3Ro 5:16-19 NIV  Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  

How is this parable like the kingdom of heaven?

The comparison in this parable doesn’t draw lines between the life we live in the flesh and the afterlife in that they are all within the kingdom.  Am I not living in the kingdom of God right now?  Does not the kingdom of God reign within a believer?4Mt 3:1-2 AV  In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea  and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  5Mt 4:17 AV  From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  6Mr 1:15 AV  “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

Assuming the man began to accrue debt from birth, if the man is 40 years old at the time of the story, he has lived 14,600 days and accrued over $1.2 Million of debt per day totaling nearly $18.8 Billion!!

Since he was not able to pay, his lord ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

Considering a wage of $15 per hour, 18 hours a day for 365 days that’s $98,550 per year. With a family of 10 working and an average life span of 50 years it will take a minimum of 380 generations to pay back the debt without any added interest!

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Lord, be patient with me,’ he begged,

“Be patient with me” Love is patient, is he asking to be loved?71Co 13:4 NIV Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

‘and I will pay back everything.’

Some how the servant seems to think it possible that he can repay such a great debt.  Clearly this isn’t a rich man or he would not have needed to borrow.  Certainly this man’s poverty is greater than ever with such a debt hanging over him however, he is unaware of the magnitude and trivializes it; there is absolutely no way he can pay back such a huge debt.

Even if he could pay the King $20 for every one of the 86,400 seconds in the day it would take over 40 years!!

As a sinner, it is a lie of the enemy that somehow I can make good on my debt.  Is it possible that even the smallest expression of such a belief is offensive to God?  Does not my offer to pay totally deny the completed work of the cross?8Isa 55:10-11 NIV  As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  9Joh 1:14 NIV  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  10Joh 19:30 NIV  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The importance of embracing the fact that I can never repay my debt is so great that Jesus himself personally debunks the lie!11Joh 14:6 NIV  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, set him free and forgave the debt.

The Lord’s generosity turned the loss into an investment into the life of the servant. Forgiving a debt means that the lender agrees to carry the load of the loss. Is that not what the Lord Jesus did for sinners – for me?

Since God is love,121Jo 4:8 NIV  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  131Jo 4:16 NIV  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. will he not express all the attributes of love,  not singling out patience.141Cor 13:4-8 NIV Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. Do I not see evidence of the fullness of love expressed here by compassion through the forgiveness of the debt?

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a hundred pence.

Considering the rate which the servant accrued debt ($20/second) for 40 years his fellow-servant only owed him 11 seconds!  ($220)15Mt 7:3 NIV  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.  

It appears that the servant may still believe he’s under a debt; perhaps he believes that by collecting all that is owed him he can make a payment.  The evidence indicates that the servant didn’t accept the cancellation of his debt.  Could it be said that he didn’t forgive himself?

Once forgiven, the only debt that remains is to love!16Ro 13:8 NIV  Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law.  Once the servant’s debt was forgiven he owed nothing except the debt to love (forgive others debt).

“His fellow-servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

“Have patience with me” Love is patient; is his fellow-servant not requesting that he love him with the same love that was shown to him?171Jo 4:19 AV  We love him, because he first loved us.  18Mt 25:45 NIV  “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  

Although this man physically walks in the freedom of forgiveness the seeds of love have not taken root in his heart, there is no good fruit, the overflow of his heart is of one who remains in bondage.191Jo 3:14 NIV  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.  201Jo 4:12 NIV  No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 

Even the world sees the injustice.  As a Christian, having received such a gift, should I not be among the most generous people in the world?  The fellow-servants are greatly distressed. The world has an expectancy for the things of God.21Ro 8:19 AV  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Quote: “If you squeezed an orange and got apple juice wouldn’t that be weird? How come when you squeeze a Christian you get everything but Christ?” -Dan Mohler

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  

The Lord’s investment yielded no fruit in the life of this man.22Mt 25:24-26 NIV  “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’  “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant just as I had on you?’  

The seeds of forgiveness were sown, but yielded no crop!23Mt 13:18-23 NIV “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.”24Joh 3:16  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.251Jo 4:11  “We love because He first loved us.”261Jo 4:19

In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

Does unforgiveness usher me into the presence of the tormentor and subject me to his rule to extract payment for a debt that I can never satisfy?  Doesn’t DESPAIR, DISCOURAGEMENT, and HOPELESSNESS await all who go there?

Is unforgiveness the root of depression?27Lu 6-37-38 NIV  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” If I am not forgiven what hope do I have?28Pr 13:12 NIV  Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

If forgiveness is going to come from my heart, my heart must first be filled with forgiveness.29Mt 12:34-35 NIV  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  30Lu 6:45 NIV  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.  For me to receive forgiveness in my heart, I must be aware of my need for forgiveness.31Ro 3:23 NIV  For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God  32Ro 11:32 NIV  For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.  Perhaps, the greater the awareness of my sin, the more forgiveness I can receive.33Lu 7:47 NIV  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven— for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”