[Jesus speaking]
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘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?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

The world’s system is to remember a list of perceived wrongs and bring it up as a defense for harsh treatment, anger, and unforgiveness. I see this all around me.

For example: a couple is on the precipice of agreeing to divorce, and all each of them can do is list an account of the ways each has been wronged by the other. Another example:a family member may not see eye to eye with another on a topic, so to bludgeon them into submission, they use words like “always” and “never” or twist their intent to claim a grievance.

We must, as Christ-followers, recognize these tactics as worldly and not Christ-like. It sources from an unwillingness to forgive others of past wrongs. Some people actually feed off of bitterness and anger that is sourced from unforgiveness. It actually becomes a driving force for actions that do not honor God.

Jesus calls us to a higher calling here. The point in the story of this servant going and ruthlessly demanding payment for this small debt, is twofold: 1) it is not kind, and 2) it is not recognizing all that he had been forgiven.

And that is what we are doing if we demand payment (or punishment or amends) from others for wrongs they have committed against us.

Have I not been forgiven much? Then it is also my honor to reflect Christ in my forgiving behavior and also forgive much!

Lord, thank you for this wonderful passage on forgiveness. Forgiveness is more than just saying: “I forgive you”. It must be a genuine erasure of the account against them. Help me to forgive from the lheart!