Watchman: Daily Devotional, After Jesus’ Exhortation on How to Approach One Who Has Sinned Against You, He Followed With a Parable of Forgiveness. The Parable Tells of a Master Forgiving an Insurmountable Debt

Daily Devotional:

Matthew 18:33-35 (NIV) 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Following Jesus' exhortation on how to approach someone who has sinned against you, He told a tale about forgiveness. A master forgives an overwhelming debt in the parable. The master summoned his servant and chastised him for not showing mercy after being shown kindness.

Every one of us bears witness to God's mercy and grace. The parable teaches us to be kind to people who owe us money. Then, in the scripture for today, Jesus issued a harsh warning. We will be "thrown in jail and tortured" until we pay our debt, says the heavenly Father. This is similar to Jesus' caution after teaching the disciples how to pray. "Because if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father in heaven will not forgive you!" Those who have experienced God's forgiveness are expected to forgive.

We discover forgiveness through Christ's grace within us. Jesus was even capable of forgiving those who had betrayed and crucified Him. He recognized that they had no idea what they were doing. People who have insulted us are frequently unaware of their actions. Even when people deliberately damage us, we must forgive for our own sake. The mental repetition of the offending party's statements is a common kind of torture. Forgive for the sake of your own peace of mind.

Remember to forgive because He forgave you even when you did not deserve it. It is Christ-like to forgive.

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