Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.”

Matthew 18:  21, 25

Jesus again stressed the importance of forgiving and being forgiven.  I love this little story that Jesus told.  A fellow owed a staggering amount, a thousand bags of gold!  Not ten thousand gold pieces, but ten thousand bags!  I have no idea how big the bags were.  Obviously, the poor debtor faced a mountain of debt that he could not pay, ever.  Even if the fellow had been given ten lifetimes to pay he could not have come up with anything like this amount. It was more than 8 million dollars!  It was not only a colossal debt but the derelict debtor simply could not even begin to pay it.  Pleading on his knees the master had pity on him and forgave the debt!  Wow!  Is this not how we feel when Jesus pays our sinful debts and sets us free?

But that is not the major point of the story.  This forgiven debtor in a short time almost killed a person who owed him a trivial amount.  When the person who had just forgiven him that huge amount heard of this, he was outraged.  “‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.”

Jesus’ point is as obvious as it is difficult.  God forgives us for which we are thankful but then we fail to forgive those who owe us something!  Withholding forgiveness is not only not God-like but it withers the soul and causes untold problems.

The secret of walking with God is to forgive and be willing to be forgiven.  That is powerfully spoken in this story.

In my mind’s eye, I see all 4 billions of Christians right now forgiving all and being forgiven of all spiritual debts.  Tomorrow, look out!  A new power is released.  Lord, may it begin with me!