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March 26, 2019
Who doesn’t have debts they need to pay off? And who wouldn’t be grateful to have someone release us from our debts? But can we really expect mercy and pardon when we owe someone such a great deal? God’s mercy towards us shows the way God wants us to be merciful towards one another. When Peter asked the question about forgiveness and showing mercy, he offered an answer that he thought would please Jesus. “Forgive my neighbor seven times? That’s easy enough!” But Jesus multiplies that by seventy times seven. Jesus made it clear that there is no limit to mercy and pardon. Jesus made this point by giving us this parable about two different kinds of debts. The first man owed an enormous amount of money. The man who was forgiven of his incredible debt could not bring himself to forgive his neighbor a very small debt.
Through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for our sins on the cross, we have been forgiven of a debt beyond our comprehension and ability to repay. It cost God his very Son, Jesus Christ, to cancel out our debt with the price of his blood. God in his mercy offers us the grace and help of his Holy Spirit so we can love as he loves, to pardon as he pardons, and to treat others with the same mercy and kindness which he has shown us.