Sermonette: Forgiveness

So, this week I read a short passage that I had never before realized existed in the Bible. I was reading the parable of the "unmerciful servant" in Matthew 18. Summarized quickly, the story begins with a king summoning a servant who owes the king a ridiculous amount of money. Once in his chambers, the king threatens to jail the servant and his family if he doesn’t pay up. The servant, who could never pay off the debt, pleads for grace, which, surprisingly, the king gives him. The forgiven servant then goes out of the king’s presence, where he immediately runs into another servant who owes him a small amount of money. As many of us remember, the recently forgiven servant refuses to pass the forgiveness onto his fellow servant. Instead, the first servant has the second servant thrown into prison until he can pay up. The king hears about what has happened, and is enraged. He revokes the forgiveness of the first servant, and has him tortured until he pays up on the impossible debt. This part I knew, but what I had forgotten was how the parable actually ended.

34 "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

– Matthew 18:34-35

Needless to say, I was surprised by the ferocity of this passage. Here’s Jesus, and he looks at the disciples and states if they don’t forgive every last person who sins against them, God will refuse to forgive their sins. Not only that, God will torture them until they can repay the debt of sin. They have to forgive their brothers from their heart, not just lip service, too!

Clearly, God is serious about forgiveness. Obviously he is serious about getting our sins forgiven because he sent his son to die for us. However, he’s just as serious about his people forgiving other people. There is no place in heaven for people without forgiveness in their hearts.

So, today, may you have the grace to forgive everyone around you. Remember the grace God poured out on you, and reflect that toward the people you see every day.