UNFORGIVEN

Middle East:  Today, a king sentenced a man to prison to be tortured for owing him millions of dollars. At first glance perhaps, many would think that the king was harsh in his judgement. Actually the king was a gracious king.

Initially he wanted the servant to pay everything he owed. If he couldn’t pay, he had to sell off his wife and children and everything that he owed. This punishment was in accordance with the law in the country. After the servant pleaded earnestly with the king to spare him, the king forgave him and cancelled his debt.

Relief and joy were apparent all over his face as he hugged his wife and children tightly. He bowed low and thanked the king for his mercy. The next day, he went about his usual work in the palace. Then he saw a fellow servant who owed him a few hundred dollars. Quickly, he took hold of his garments and demanded he pay every cent. The man was very afraid of him because he had no money to pay him back. He pleaded for him to cancel the debt, but he refused to forgive his fellow servant and cancel his debt.

Instead he forcefully put him to jail and kept him there until he paid his debt in full. This was only a few hundred dollars. He had forgotten that the king, his master cancelled his debt for few million dollars.

When all of this was happening, some fellow servants of the king saw everything this ungrateful servant did. They quickly ran to the king and told him everything he had done.

The king was furious. He sent his guards to bring the wicked servant before him. He knelt before the king and pleaded once again for his forgiveness.

“You wicked servant. 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?” the king growled angrily. This is how the king turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he could pay back all he owed. – PSBIBLE News

REFLECTION

This story was told by Jesus in Matthew chapter 18 verses 23 to 34. God wants to teach us that we need to forgive others. Why? Simple. God gave His only Son to save us from going to hell. Jesus died on our behalf. In other words, he cancelled our debt which we could never pay at all like the few million dollars the servant owed the king. What is a few million dollars compared to a few dollars people owed you? Therefore, forgive them because God forgave you. Jesus sums up this lesson on forgiveness when He said in verse 35, “This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”