Tag: generous king
The Generous King!
Scripture reading for August 10th: Hosea 7-10, Matthew 18
Matthew 18: 21-28 “Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.”
Jesus told a parable in response to Peter’s question about the frequency that forgiveness should be offered to a brother who sinned against you. In the parable, a king was settling accounts and a subject came before him who owed him ten thousand talents–a huge sum of money. The king ordered the man’s goods liquidated and he and his family sold into slavery. The man appealed humbly to the king, and the king kindly forgave the debt and released him. What followed was astounding! That forgiven man went and found a man that owed him only a small amount and demanded payment by seizing him and choking him. When the man asked for mercy, he refused and threw him in prison. When the king heard this, he took action and threw him in jail until the debt was paid.
Matthew 18:32-35 “Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Prayer: Generous heavenly Father, thank You for Your great mercy in forgiving me my sins and wiping out my debts, which were many. Forgive me when I have not been generous with mercy towards others who have offended me or did wrong to me. I want Your mercy, not judgment. Fill me with the grace to forgive and show mercy. I desperately need Your mercy each day.
Hosea 10:12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you.”