Forgiveness (3)

Date: Thursday, 14^th December, 2023

Text: Matthew 18:23-35

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

In today’s text, Jesus told a story to teach the importance of forgiveness and the danger of unforgiveness:

Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants’ accounts. He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had, in order to pay the debt.The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay you everything!’ The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.

 “Then the man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and started choking him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said. His fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back!’ But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail until he should pay the debt.  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything. So he called the servant in. ‘You worthless slave!’ he said. ‘I forgave you the whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to. You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you.’ The king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished until he should pay back the whole amount.”

And Jesus concluded, “That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:23-35 (GNB)

To whom much is given, much is expected; to whom much forgiveness is given, much forgiveness is expected. Unforgiveness can make God reverse his previous blessing of forgiveness. Be wise!

Prayer Nugget: Father, please, help me to always extend your forgiveness to others in Jesus name.