Passage of the Day:
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 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. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened,” Matthew 18:23-31.
Reflection:
When a Christian, co-worker, family member, friend or neighbor trespasses against you with an act, behavior or choice word, forgiveness is likely the last thing on your mind. Perhaps, this is one of the inspirations behind the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. My eight-grade science teacher reminds me of the master who cancelled this servant’s debt. On the last day of school, I thought Mr. Horne made a mistake on my report card. I started out with a D, improved to a C at the halfway point. I earned a B in the 3rd marking period and A the 4th. When I saw my grade for the year, it was an A. Since Mr. Horne was my favorite teacher, I wanted to make sure there wasn’t an error on his part. While the percentages don’t add up, Ken explained that by the end of the year, I was an A student. This 5-minute conversation overwhelmed me and helped shape my mind when I became a teacher. Just as my 8th grade teacher showed mercy on me, I was inspired to extend grace, forgiveness and mercy to my students at Red Lion Christian Academy.
Prayerful Action:
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you, Colossians 3:13.
Learning to Love this December as God Loves You:
The servant in Jesus’ parable had accumulated so much debt over a period of time, he would have been physically unable to pay this amount back before his death. Sometimes forgiveness is as simple as common sense. After crunching these numbers, the master realized this and extended the grace of God by cancelling this excessive debt. However, don’t be that person who is blessed by an act of forgiveness, but fail to treat others as this master forgave him.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
Today’s song comes from a Christian Rock band from Columbus, Ohio. As you listen to the lyrics, may you be inspired by the call to forgive, leaving the love of Jesus whenever you go in life.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 