but seventy-seven times.
This story throws light on the kingdom of Heaven: A king decided to settle accounts with
his servants. Among the first of them was one who owed him ten thousand pieces of gold.
As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave
with his wife, his children and all his goods, as repayment.
The servant threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you
back everything.’ The king took pity on him, and not only set him free, but even canceled
his debt.
When this servant left the king’s presence, he met one of his fellow servants, who owed
him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the throat and almost choked him,
shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ His fellow servant threw himself at his feet and begged
him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’ But the other did not agree, and sent him to
prison until he had paid all his debt.
Now the servants of the king saw what had happened. They were extremely upset, and so
they went and reported everything to their lord.
Reflect
Sometimes I think that I’d get no exercise at all if it weren’t for carrying grudges. There’s
something oddly comforting about carrying the burden of not forgiving. If you refuse to
forgive, you can see yourself as the victim and refuse to look at your own motives and
actions. It allows you to protect yourself from future hurts by blocking others out. But it
also keeps you from growing in faith, hope, and love. By developing a forgiving heart, we
can become more aware of our own need for mercy. When we offer forgiveness
wholeheartedly, we find it easier to ask for forgiveness when we are the one in the wrong.
Mercy begets mercy.
Some people mistake forgiveness for weakness. But being forgiving does not mean that
you allow people to treat you badly with no consequences. You can forgive someone
without giving them unlimited opportunities to continue hurting you. Forgiveness means
letting the love overwhelm the pain and anger so that you need no longer carry the burden.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023
