Do you ever feel like you’re running out of forgiveness? That thorn in your side of a human being, if they mess up one more time then that’s it – they aren’t worth forgiving anymore! I don’t know about you, but I’m incredibly thankful that I serve a God who offers forgiveness for the sinful nature I could never fix on my own.
In this parable, we see the master summon a servant who owes him *a kagillion* dollars, an insane amount of money that no one could ever realistically repay.
Acknowledging that the servant would remain indebted forever, the master declares that he will sell the servant, his family, and all his belongings as punishment. In anguish, the servant falls before him, begging for mercy and promising to repay everything. But, the master does one better, he completely the debt.
Can you image the relief the servant must have felt? He surely knew that he didn’t deserve to have his debt erased. Yet, it was erased and he was able to walk away a free man, with a free family. He must have felt like he was floating on clouds beneath the peace that forgiveness brings.
Which makes the hypocrisy that follows almost unbelievable. That same servant goes and finds a man who was in debt to him, for a relatively small (by comparison) amount, and immediately begin attacking him over the debt that is owed. This debtor also begs for patience and mercy. But, instead of responding in grace, the first servant replies by having his lesser debtor thrown into prison.
What arrogance! To be fully forgiven of a debt you cannot possibly repay, yet still hold another person hostage over what they owe you. What gives us rights as mere humans to think this way? That is the mindset of fallen mankind. We were not placed here to sit as judges over others. We are called to be living reflections of Christ, examples of His mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
Sure enough, the master was alerted to these actions. In anger, he called back the hypocritical servant and condemned the heartless actions. The man was handed over to be tortured, a sobering picture of the eternal suffering awaiting those apart from saving grace.
Put simply, we are commanded to forgive. This realistically for a moment – the last time someone sinned against you and chose to come forward admitting their wrongs and asking for forgiveness. Did you weigh whether they deserved forgiveness? Did you feel justified in withholding grace because of the hurt they caused?
Your judgement and thinking is not above God’s. Your determination of guilt is not above His. Your pride is what whispers, “I know God may forgive you, but I don’t have to.” But who are we to withhold mercy when we ourselves survive by mercy alone?
You do not know better than God, and you will never be a more righteous judge than He is. Challenge that pride the moment it rises up within you.
God allow me to set aside my pride and accept that You are the one true Judge over others. Who am I to not extend even an ounce of the merciful grace that You have offered to a sinner like me? Lord, today I pray that you soften my heart to grant forgiveness when it is asked. Help me to establish healthy boundaries to guard against future offenses, while simultaneously forgiving as You have commanded. Show me what radical forgiveness looks like.