Day 18 - The Unmerciful Servant

Matthew 18:21-35

Peter came to Jesus and asked how many times he should forgive his brother. Jesus tells him that he is to forgive his brother seventy times seven times (490). He then told the parable of the unmerciful servant. The servant owed ten thousand talents, and he was long overdue paying this money. The debt needed to be paid, so the master ordered that him, his wife, his children and all that he had should be sold to repay the debt owed. The servant was broken upon hearing this, and he fell to his knees, begging for the master to be patient with him. The servant's master felt pity on the man, and he canceled the debt and let the servant go. Later that day, the servant went out and found one of his fellow servants. The fellow servant owed him 100 talents, and the servant ordered him to pay him back. The fellow servant fell to his knees and begged for the servant to be patient with him. Instead of forgiving the debt, the servant threw the man in jail. The other servants saw this happen, and they told their master. The master called the servant and told him how wicked he was, and how he should have had more mercy on the fellow servant, just as the master had been to him. The master was angry and maid the jailers torture the servant until he was able to pay back what was owed. The scripture ends with this: "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

I tend to carry grudges and I often allow my feelings and problems towards a person to affect the relationship I have with them. If someone owes me money, I remember, and I generally make them pay it back. If someone has hurt me, I remember, and I remind them of it if the chance comes up. If someone has promised me something, I remember, and I show them ways that they can make it up to me. This is a terrible habit, one that I am trying hard to break. I want to be a merciful person, showing mercy to the people I know and care so deeply about. It is my goal to show others that I can forgiven them. My goal is to clear in my mind what is owed from others, to forgive the hurts that I feel towards others, and to stop holding grudges. Reading this scripture has challenged me.

God, help me to keep up with my goal of forgiving others and being merciful towards them. Help me to be as you are, and to treat people the way You would have me treat them. Amen.