PRAYER (via CCC): Father, help me to represent Your glory, the revelation of Your character as well as the power of Your Presence to the world around me. Let me desire to be holy because You are holy. I call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially and therefore we each should live in reverent fear of You. It is not by the perishable things on this earth that I am redeemed from the empty way of life that has been lived and people continue to live on this earth today (1 Peter 1:16-18). But by Your Son, Jesus Christ that I am saved. I am apart of a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to You. I declare the praise of my loving God, who has called me out of darkness into Your wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, amen.
MATTHEW 18:21-35 part 1
THE PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT:
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, by seventy-seven time.
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, cancelled the debt and let him go.
But when the 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 cancelled 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."
The rabbis taught that people should forgive those who offend them-but only three times. Peter, trying to be especially generous, asked Jesus if seven (the "perfect" number) was enough times to forgive someone. But Jesus answered, "Seventy-seven times," meaning that we shouldn't even keep track of how many times we forgive someone. We should always forgive those who are truly repentant, no matter how many times they ask. Is there someone that you need to forgive? Because we've accepted Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior, God has forgiven all our sins, and we shouldn't withhold our forgiveness from others. As we realize how completely Christ has forgiven us, it should produce an attitude of forgiveness toward others. When we don't forgive others, we build up a way and our hearts are hardened. We are also setting ourselves above Christ's law of love. If Christ can forgive us of everything we have done and will do... why can't we forgive that person(s) in our lives?
SHOW MERCY TO ONE ANOTHER
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