Forgiveness
Matthew’s gospel
“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-seven times.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. 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 you 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 greatly distressed 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 turned 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 from your heart.” Matthew 18: 21-35.
Here Peter asks a simple question as to how many times should we forgive sins, to which Jesus states, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Jesus here is not telling Peter to simply forgive 490 times, but rather times without number.
He then tells the story of a servant that had a very large debt forgiven by his master who then turns around and fails to forgive a fellow servant of his debt. Having the man thrown into prison.
When the master found how the servant had treated the other servant with complete lack of love and mercy, he then ordered the other to be thrown in jail, for failure to forgive.
Being a Christian is all about relationships, and love. Our relationship to God and those around us. Our love for God and those around us.
The Talmud while not a Christian book was written to those who believe in God. It tells this story that is very much relevant to Christians and others, it states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?” The Talmud
Like it or not God will judge us on how we treated our fellow men.
James the half brother of Jesus states,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:12,13.
As Christians we are called to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world around us. To show mercy and love.
C. S. Lewis noted,
“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please think about it.
Matthew’s gospel
“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-seven times.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. 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 you 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 greatly distressed 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 turned 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 from your heart.” Matthew 18: 21-35.
Here Peter asks a simple question as to how many times should we forgive sins, to which Jesus states, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Jesus here is not telling Peter to simply forgive 490 times, but rather times without number.
He then tells the story of a servant that had a very large debt forgiven by his master who then turns around and fails to forgive a fellow servant of his debt. Having the man thrown into prison.
When the master found how the servant had treated the other servant with complete lack of love and mercy, he then ordered the other to be thrown in jail, for failure to forgive.
Being a Christian is all about relationships, and love. Our relationship to God and those around us. Our love for God and those around us.
The Talmud while not a Christian book was written to those who believe in God. It tells this story that is very much relevant to Christians and others, it states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?” The Talmud
Like it or not God will judge us on how we treated our fellow men.
James the half brother of Jesus states,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:12,13.
As Christians we are called to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world around us. To show mercy and love.
C. S. Lewis noted,
"To be a Christian means
to forgive the inexcusable
because God has forgiven
the inexcusable in you.”
C.S. Lewis
Martin Luther King jr. the American civil rights leader said,“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please think about it.
