The other day I am home from the office and while I was changing clothes, I turned to charge my phone. As I did so, I discovered that the plug for my charger was missing. Well, anyone who has children understands that this meant that my daughter had stolen my plug in order to charge her IPod.
No sooner had I made this discovery when I heard shouting from my kids.
“You stole it!!!”
“No, I didn’t!”
“Yes, you did! You knew I was using that!!!”
I rushed down the steps to intervene before this shouting match turned into a fight. There in my home office were my two daughters shouting at each other as loud as they could. My oldest daughter, the one with an IPod, was accusing her little sister of stealing something that wasn’t really hers to begin with.
“What is going on here?”
“SHE stole my…!!!”
“Just like you stole my charger?”
(silence)
It is never fun to be reminded that we are just as guilty of sin.
In Jesus day, He told the story of a salve who owed his master a large sum of money. He was unable to pay the large sum at the time in which it was due. He knew that the normal consequence for failing to pay a debt was the selling of his family and property and possibly prison. Therefore, he fell at the feet of his master and begged that he would be given more time.
His master felt compassion for the slave and did not just give him an extension, but forgave his debt completely! The slave did not walk out of that court a man with more time, but a man who had been set free from his debt and the fear of all punishment!!!
However as he left the court that day, the salve saw another slave who owed him a much smaller sum of money. He grabbed the man and began to choke him, demanding his money! The other slave begged him for more time in order to pay back the debt, but he would not have it. He had the other slave thrown into prison for failing to pay the debt.
The slaves deeds eventually made their way to the master’s ears. When he heard of the incident, his face became twisted with anger and he called the slave back into his presence. The master confronted him for his wickedness and his lack of mercy and then sent him away to be tortured for the debt that had been forgiven him! (Matthew 18:23-35)
Through this parable, Jesus reminded Peter that those who have been shown mercy ought to be merciful as well. On other words, be gracious for you have received grace yourself!
This is something that should be true of all Christians as well!!! We need to be quick to show grace and quick to forgive. Here a some quick reminders that may help you do so.
- You are not perfect
Paul, after listing several sins, says, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor 6:11) This passage should be our reminder that were are only different because God forgave us!
- They are not perfect
- Christ is perfect, and He forgave
“I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:11) These are the words of Jesus to the woman caught in sin. He had every right to condemn her. In fact, He was the only one with a right to condemn her. Yet he chose to forgive her!
Go, and do likewise.
