Devotional:
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how oftenwill my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?As many as seven times?”Jesus said to him,“I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wishedto settle accounts with his servants.When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed himten thousandtalents.And since he could not pay, his master ordered himto be sold, with his wife andchildren and all that he had, and payment to be made.So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him andforgave him the debt.But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundreddenarii,and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.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.Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,until he should pay all his debt.So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brotherfrom your heart.”
— Matthew 18:21-35
This servant owed his master 10,000 talents. One talent was 20 years’ worth of wages for a servant/laborer. So, 10,000 talents owed x 20 years per talent = 200,000 years’ worth of wages. An impossible debt to pay.
How someone could get into that much debt is beyond my comprehension *insert eye roll here*. But it is obvious that Jesus was using this parable as an undeniable example of the forgiveness, mercy and grace of our Heavenly Father.
The master canceled the debt for what reason? Only because the servant got on his knees and begged him for patience saying he would repay it. Of course, the servant could never repay such a debt, but the master knew this and because the servant showed his vulnerability and humbled himself before him, he let him go, erasing the entire debt.
After this act of mercy from his master, the servant left and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him, started to choke him out demanded his money! This is laughable at this point because the man was just forgiven 200,000 years’ worth of wages, a lifetime of slavery, and he was going to murder someone over 100 denarii, which was only about 3 months’ worth of wages.
The master found out what the servant did and took back all that was forgiven of him. He put him in prison until he could pay all his debts which we know, given the amount he owed, meant forever condemned. The servant was shown mercy and grace beyond comprehension. Yet, his heart was not changed by it. His unforgiving spirit eventually led him to a lifetime of condemnation.
Jesus is telling Peter that we cannot receive his forgiveness and at the same time, continue to be unforgiving. Forgiveness starts with Him, and never ends. The number seven is often used in the Bible as the number of completion or perfection. When Jesus says not just seven, but seventy-seven, He means completely, infinitely, and as often as necessary.
I see forgiveness in 4 ways:
- God’s forgiveness
- Our forgiveness of others
- Other’s forgiveness of us
- Us forgiving ourselves
Forgiveness begins with Christ exchanging His life for our sins. When he pushed up on his nail-pierced feet and said “it is finished” this meant, it is done. Jesus is the final destiny. It begins and ends with Him and there is no other way now that he has fulfilled God’s promise to the world. Therefore, our ability to genuinely forgive others cannot exist without Christ.
We must acknowledge that we are sinners, in need of Jesus Christ our Savior before we can truly understand what forgiveness means. It is not until then that we can, in turn, forgive others and accept forgiveness from others. Because Jesus shed His Blood for the forgiveness of all the sins for all the world, we know that forgiveness only happens through Him.
Before Jesus was sent to take our place and bear our weight of sin, there was harsh judgment, sacrificial payments and laws that had to be followed and obeyed because the promised ultimate sacrifice that would bring forgiveness to the world had not yet come. But now, we can experience true forgiveness from God without requiring any of those things. Forgiveness and mercy are in Christ alone if we believe.
Without Christ, I don’t see a reason for forgiveness. Because, if we are eternally condemned, is there cause for asking forgiveness from those you’ve sinned against? I do not believe so. It wouldn’t change anything, right? The servant had his chance to show mercy just as he was shown mercy and because he did not, he was condemned. I think that without the acceptance and understanding of Christ’s forgiveness and mercy, it would be truly difficult to forgive others. We could try or pretend, but I’m not sure it would be possible.
Being forgiven by others.
We are not responsible for someone forgiving us. We cannot control that. All we have control of is what we are commanded to do. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Ask for forgiveness. What they do with that is between them and God. You know you have been healed and are forgiven by God because you have confessed your sins to Him and to the person.
Now, learn from it and, as Jesus told the woman condemned to be stoned in John 8:11, “go, and sin no more.” Release that burden because it is no longer yours to carry. Continue to pray for their hearts to soften, not just to you and your forgiveness but to truly soften to the love of Christ, seeking His forgiveness and mercy. Because they must first know what forgiveness feels like to understand how to forgive.
Forgiving ourselves.
I have to be honest, the Bible doesn’t really have a verse for this. I researched it like crazy, out of curiosity and most of what I found was not affiliated with any Christian sources. Oprahdaily.com, tinybuddha.com and happyhuman.com nailed it though.
So why is it so important to forgive oneself in the self-help and human improvement world we live in, and it not be mentioned specifically in the Bible? One reason alone. Grace. God’s perfect grace. We are saved by grace alone. It is not our works or deeds that save us.
There is no moral effort, state of consciousness, religious efforts or any other contribution that can be conjured up that saves us. Our forgiveness, our salvation, is received. It is not achieved. There is no other religion like it. To be forgiven by Christ, who lives in us means we no longer live in that sin and condemnation.
To continue to dwell in that sin oppression means we do not fully grasp what freedom in Christ means.
I have two verses that I think we must remember as we try to forgive ourselves or let go of the wrong we have done:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”
— Isaiah 43:18-19
Forgiveness from God: Have you received it? Do you believe in the power of His full grace and mercy and know that you have been redeemed by His blood alone? If not, pray for Him to open your eyes to see the beauty of His love and forgiveness today.
Forgiving Others: Who do you need to forgive? If you have received forgiveness from Christ and choose not to forgive, what makes you different than the unmerciful servant? Pray God either restores a beautiful relationship or, through forgiveness, can finally close a toxic one.
We are called to love one another. Holding a grudge is like trying to reflect your pain on the person who has harmed you. If they truly have asked forgiveness from God and you, they won’t feel that pain because they have released it. What you do with that is up to you. The grudge will only fester and ultimately harm you and those around you.
Forgiveness from others: Do you need to seek forgiveness for something you have done? Pray for the courage and words to go and ask for forgiveness. Humble yourself and repent. It could be that you need forgiveness from your friend, your boss, your spouse or your kid. But ultimately, God has placed all these people in your life for a reason. To love them, not to harm them. Pray for their hearts to be open and receive a forgiving spirit.
Forgiving yourself: Have you been forgiven by Christ? If not, what are you waiting for? If you know you have been forgiven by Christ, what keeps you from being completely set free from the burden? You know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You cannot simultaneously believe what that says and continue to condemn yourself.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
— John 8:36
Now my brothers and sisters in Christ, go today, and be free!
