Its How We Get Free Jesus once told a story about a servant who owed his master an enormous debt, far beyond what he could possibly pay. When confronted with a demand to pay what was due, the man fell prostrate before his master and begged for leniency. Moved with compassion, his master forgave his debt. But remarkably, this same man, after receiving so much grace, went out and found a person who owed him a small amount of money. Rather than extending the same kindness he’d received, he grabbed his debtor by the throat and insisted he pay immediately. The man pleaded for mercy, but it was denied and he was thrown into prison. Some of this mans fellow servants witnessed his lack of forgiveness and went back and told their master. He was livid. He called the ungrateful servant in and said, “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had mercy on you? Matthew 18:34 concludes: “...moved with anger, (he) handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. There are two truths worth noting in this story: 1. The result of this man’s unforgiveness… was torture. It always is. When we refuse to forgive someone from the heart, we only bring torment into our own heart, soul and body. Doctors often talk about the biochemical changes that occur in our bodies when we harbor bitterness and resentment. It’s a medical fact. It’s not what we eat; it’s what’s eating us that does the most damage. I recently watched someone recall a grudge and as they talked about it, their countenance literally transformed before my eyes, not in a good way. 2. There’s only one righteous judge and we’re not it. Stop playing God. Anytime we assume the power of revenge and retribution, we are assuming a power that belongs only to Him. I’m reminded of that scene in Forrest Gump where Jenny is dealing with the pain caused by her abusive father and she’s standing outside, crying and broken, throwing rocks against the house where she was raised. And then she runs out of rocks, so she throws her shoes; then she falls in the dirt, utterly spent, weeping uncontrollably. And Forrest says, “Sometimes, there just aren’t enough rocks.” Sometimes there aren’t, dear friend, and all we can do is commit it to God, extend forgiveness, and let go. We don’t give up on justice; we just give it up to God. But understand this: forgiveness is not letting someone get away with sin; it’s letting Jesus be the judge of it. We’ve got to do that; we really do. It’s how we get free.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:33:25 +0000