Forgiveness Is Freedom - for Everyone! Sample

We’ve Been Forgiven Everything

One of my favorite Bible examples about forgiveness is in Matthew 18. Jesus says this story is what the kingdom of heaven is like. I think that makes it a pretty important point! 

It’s about a king who is looking at his financial affairs, and he calls in one servant who owes him — let’s say $10,000.00. The guy doesn’t have the money and can’t pay it back. Without the money, he’s going to lose everything he has, plus he and his whole family will be sold into slavery to pay it back.

Naturally, the servant begged for mercy. And amazingly, the king not only released him instead of enslaving him, but he forgave the entire $10,000.00 debt. 

Think about that! The king didn’t reduce the amount the guy owed, or make a payment arrangement for him. He erased the debt completely. This servant didn’t get what he deserved at all. That’s a reason to celebrate! But sadly, that’s not what this servant did. 

His fellow servant owed him a fraction of what he himself had owed — let’s say $100.00, compared to his former bill of $10,000.00. This ungrateful guy demanded that payment be made, to the point of choking his fellow servant. Notice that the words his fellow servant used; they are exactly the same ones he had used when the king demanded payment: “Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.” But while his debt was forgiven, he completely ignored them when his fellow servant used them, and had the guy thrown into prison. 

When everybody else in the household heard about it, they told the king, who ended up throwing him in debtors prison. Then verse 35 says, So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses. 

That’s sobering, don’t you think? In the story, the ungrateful servant represents you and me. We have been forgiven everything by our King when we didn’t deserve it. Our debt has completely been wiped out by Jesus. Should we not also have compassion on our fellow humans, just as He had pity on us?

You and I simply have no right to hold anything against anyone since we have been forgiven everything. Everything! Plus, there’s this added benefit. When we forgive, it can also set them free. That’s amazing.