Matthew 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for those who are traveling.
When I was in the fifth grade, I entered a store and saw that a few baseball cards fell to the ground. I helped an employee pick them off of the ground and, as I saw one of the cards, I slid it into my pocket. I didn't think much of the consequence until an under cover police officer stopped me as I walked out of the store with my parents.
It was a small thing that I ultimately paid a bigger consequence for. They told me that I couldn't enter the store for a year.
Today, I'm a little older (or a lot older, depending on how you look at it), and I have to wonder what "cards" am I holding onto that is keeping me out of heaven? What "cards" can I let go of and give back to the owner of the store? Who are the faces on these cards and what are the "stats" that I continue to obsess over...
"Well, this person did this and this and this and, oh my, I can't ever let go of that one!"
Don't give up heaven because you don't want to let go of the "forgiveness cards." Take care and God Bless.
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