Jesus & Forgiveness: Lesson 2 | Devotion 1

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled 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?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.’” - Matthew 18:32-35

This parable is a strong flavor, isn’t it?

Let’s just call it like it is: Jesus wasn’t messing around. He basically says that if people think they can take advantage of God’s forgiveness and treat others harshly, they have another thing coming. God expects us to treat others with the same level of mercy He shows to us.

Now, we might think this is a pretty tall task. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Maybe our hesitant reaction to this parable comes because we don’t truly believe how sinful we are and don’t fully realize the depths of God’s forgiveness. Maybe if we saw ourselves for who we really are we’d be much more inclined to forgive others more readily.

So, the next time you’re not feeling very forgiving, remember: God expects you to forgive others as He forgives us.