a story. a true story.

Story of the Unforgiving Debtor

21Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"

22"No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!

23"For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. 26But the man fell down before the king and begged him, 'Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' 27Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

28"But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded. 30But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full.

31"When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened. 32Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' 34Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.

35"That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart."

i used this parable recently when i was teaching the youth group at my church while our youth minister was visting his parents in tampa.

isn't it sad how we humans can be so ungrateful? haven't we all carried grudges? don't we, too, need to forgive others for small encroachments? i do.

cl taught a lesson recently on forgiveness that was really great. i came in late on the video that he was using. it was about a person who had just returned from a flight, and they had gotten all their baggage (grudges), and they were on their way home.

they pulled out of the parking lot and got t-boned by a garbage truck. they thought they were on their way home. however, they went 'home' to a new and eternal estate. this was not their plan. they thought they were going to that new subdivision later on. i guess they got moved up on the list.

let's drop out bags at the door on our way out today, and get done what needs to be done. 37Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." who doesn't love themselves? who doesn't forgive themselves?