Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Matthew 18:35, “So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from the heart.”

Background

After Jesus explains God’s heart desire for the little ones, the lost and straying sheep, to come and be reconciled to Him, He goes on to say how each of us play a part in that process. He tells His disciples to go to the brother if he has sinned against them and try to bring about reconciliation and restoration before God. And Peter then asks Jesus how often they have to keep forgiving the same person, how important is this really in the eyes of God, and Jesus throws out a number like 490. And even while they are still trying to get their minds around that 490, Jesus switches gears on them and tells them a story of a king who forgives not 490 times, but one time. He, however, forgives a debt of ten thousand talents, a number which again represents more than His disciples can get their minds around. It’s an unpayable balance, beyond any servant’s resources to pay back to a king. But that servant does not offer this same type of forgiveness to his debtor, and news of this reaches the king and infuriates him. So he delivers his servant to the torturers until he pays his debt.

Application

Wow. So much for 490. I guess that number wasn’t all that important after all. Peter’s suggestion of seven times even sounds ridiculous now. So maybe the number of times wasn’t significant. Maybe we’re supposed to realize that God has forgiven our unpayable debt, and it’s supposed to change us to where we don’t keep count. And perhaps if it hasn’t really changed us, if we keep holding grudges, then one is as bad as 490, and it shows the state of our heart. Perhaps the pain and torture that zigzags through your life is the truth of this verse manifesting itself in you. Maybe God’s Word is true, and there is trouble ahead if we don’t forgive like He forgave us. Perhaps He is the only King worthy of exacting judgment, and all of us have nothing to hold over anyone else. Maybe an offense against me is not supposed to turn me into a judge, but rather remind me that I’m a sheep. And I’d say I need reminding at least 490 times. How does that number sound to you?

Charge

As we seek Him today, take off the robe of the judge and remember where we stand before His bench. Offer the forgiveness you have received wherever it needs to be shared.  

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words