I once did a personal survey and in that survey there were three things that individuals said that they suffered with more than anything else. Here is what those that were surveyed said; (sounds like family feud) #3- they said that they felt unloved, #2- there was bitterness in their heart that they couldn’t get rid of and #1 by far was unforgiveness. They said there were things that they couldn’t forgive. Maybe it was the way someone had treated them, maybe something someone had said to or about them or maybe it was something they just couldn’t forgive themselves for. Whatever it was it was destroying their lives. Without doubt there are those who are reading this that have the same unforgiving thoughts and are experiencing the same thing. It may be that unforgiveness and bitterness go together. The reason I say that is because of what I read in:
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving and then Paul gives us the example to follow as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Where did that come from? Jesus Himself for He paints the word picture in Matthew 18.
Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?
Matthew 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.
The question is asked not if to forgive but how many times I should forgive. Then Jesus paints the word picture
Matthew 18:23-35 Go there and read it for yourself; I will attempt to tell what is said in those verses. First look at what Webster has to say about unforgiving and bitterness.
Unforgiving- Not forgiving; not disposed to overlook or pardon offenses; implacable.
Bitterness- In a figurative sense, extreme enmity, grudge, hatred; or rather an excessive degree or implacableness of passions and emotions; as the bitterness of anger. Sharpness; severity of temper. Ephesians 4:31 & 32
Now with that in mind let’s look at what Jesus says. Jesus is teaching us in these verses that it had come to the Kings attention that there was a servant that had misused his Kings recourses.
Matthew 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Now in the day you and I live in I have no idea what 10 thousand talents are except that it must have been a lot. Here is where I began to learn what forgiveness really is; a few years back my wife and I took a two year counseling class. While taking that class our professor said this about that verse and it opened up my eyes to what forgiveness really is. He told us that the exchange from talents to silver; 10 thousand talents = (Are you ready?) Three Billion 840 million I can understand that can’t you? The servant said he would repay if the King would have patience with him. The King does far greater than tha.t
Matthew 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
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