Do You Forgive Others as You Want to Be Forgiven?

The story was told of a slave who owed his master 60 million denarii and could not pay. (Matt. 18:23-35) The master ordered him, his family and his possessions to be sold to pay the debt. The slave fell down and pleaded with his master . . .

“Be patient with me and I will pay back everything to you.”

So his master pitied him and canceled his huge debt.

He then went to a fellow slave who owed him only 100 denarii.

“Pay back whatever you owe.”

“Be patient with me and I will pay you back.”

But the one who had been forgiven so much refused to forgive his fellow slave so little, and had him thrown into prison.

The other slaves who had seen this reported it to the master.

The master, furious, ordered the unforgiving slave to appear . . .

“I canceled all that debt for you . . . Ought you not, in turn, to have had mercy on your fellow slave?”

The master then had that wicked slave thrown into jail.

LESSON FOR US TODAY: The master forgave one slave what to us might be around $12 million (U.S.), but then this slave would not forgive his fellow slave something like $20! Similarly, we sin against God thousands of times, often not even being aware of our trespasses. (Ps. 19:12) Yet, when we ask for his forgiveness, he forgives us. (1 John 1:9) But how many times does a particular person sin against us? Two or three times? If Jehovah forgives us thousands of times, can’t we forgive our brother a few times? Keep in mind that we are taught to pray that God will “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matt. 6:12)