Maranatha Voice

Forgiveness
By Roy Thomas

Matthew Chapter 18

Perhaps no other lesson in life is harder to learn than that of forgiveness. It is hard to forgive someone who has hurt us deeply, yet it is one of the most important qualities that Christmas should have in their lives. According to the Bible, one cannot ask forgiveness for themselves unless they have forgiven everyone who has hurt them. When Jesus was teaching his disciples about forgiveness, he told then that, "If anyone sins against us we should go to them privately and settle the matter. If the matter cannot be resolved between the two, then one or two witnesses are to be taken along. If someone still refuses to forgive then the other has done his part." This is a teaching that many of us have heard before; it is also a teaching that is very valuable if one applies it to his life.

In Matthew, Chapter 18 , Peter asks a question that many people to this day cannot answer. He asks Jesus: "How many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me?" In some peoples minds if they have forgiven someone once or twice, they have acted very generously. When peter suggested seven times he thought that he was going to the very extreme of Christ's tolerance. Many of the high Priests and Rabbis of that time said, "Forgive the first offense, the second, the third; punish the fourth." However, the response that Jesus gave to peter showed that there should be no limit. That is what Jesus meant by "seventy times seven." We are to forgive each other as God forgives us, and God does not keep account of the number of times.

Later, in Matthew, Chapter 18 , Jesus told a little parable to illustrate and enforce His teachings. He said in verse 23, "the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants." We must never forget that we have to give an answer to God for all the things that we do in our lives. The word of God tells us that "On the last days the books will be opened, the books which record mans acts, words, motives, tempers, "etc. However, we do not have to wait until the last day to answer to God. He is constantly calling on men to give account to Him. There are many ways by which God is able to do this, sometimes God calls people to repent through the preaching of the word, which convicts them of sin and makes them tremble in the sight of God. It may also be through a sickness or affliction that God calls people to repent from their sins. Other times it is by a deep searching of the heart, which is produced by the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, everyone is this world will, at sometime, be called before God to give account for their sins.

In verse 24 of the same chapter it says, "A man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him." In this verse it is obvious that the large figure stands for our debt to God. As we read on we can tell that this debt is too large for the servant to pay back to the king. This is the same situation that we face when we are called before God to give account for our sins. There is no way that we will ever make up for the enormous debt that we owe our Lord. Many people think that if they cry tears of repentance they will be forgiven; however, if one is sorry for being in debt, that does not cancel the debt. Some believe that because their sins do not trouble them any more that they are forgiven. But if we forget that we owe a man a million dollars, that does not mean that we are not in debt to him. We are hopelessly in debt to God, and there is nothing we can do to repay him.

In the parable we see that if the king wanted he could have sold the servant, his wife, family and all that he owned. However, this servant came to his king and begged for time to pay him back. In verse 26 it says, "The servant fell on his knees before him be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything." When the servant said this the king had compassion in his heart and in verse 27 it says, "the servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go." This is a great example of Divine forgiveness. We can never pay the enormous debt that we owe to God, but His mercy is enough to wipe it all away. In this World, bankrupt people are some times allowed by their creditors to go free after paying only pennies on the dollar. But this is not the way that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forgives; He does not ask us to give anything in return for the debt that we owe Him, Because we have nothing to give. We are granted forgiveness freely by His grace.

Now one would think that after this servant was shown this great compassion by his king, that he would remember this and try to show this same compassion to others. However in verse 28 , the servant has already forgotten the mercy that the king had on him. A few minutes ago the servant was at his king's feet begging for forgiveness, however, this experience failed to change his heart. What this servant owed him was nothing compared to the great debt that he owed to the King, yet he began to choke the servant and demanded payment. Is this how we treat people in our daily lives?

As the parable continues, the unmerciful servant is again called before the king. The king says, "You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you ?" Then it says, "In anger, his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed." In many mind, the king was justified to throw this unmerciful servant in jail. This servant had received such compassion from the king, yet, he could not find it in his heart to forgive his neighbor who had owed him almost nothing compared to what the unmerciful servant owed the king. As an old Spanish writer says, "To return evil for good is devilish; to return good for good is human; to return good for evil is Godlike."

In verse 35 , Jesus tells us how this parable applied to our own lives. He says, "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Because of this verse we must ask ourselves, "Do we truly have the forgiving spirit?"