THE UNFORGIVING: COMPASSION & MERCY
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. The Unforgiving
a) The parable of the unforgiving slave illustrates the principle that Jesus also underlined when he taught his disciples to pray. Part of that model prayer pleads with God to... "Forgive us our debts even as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). Jesus commented, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6:14-15).
b) The parable of the unforgiving slave illustrates the goodness and severity of God. It portrays God as merciful to us on the condition that we are merciful to others. If we are not, then we will incur his wrath (Matthew 18:21-35).
2. Compassion And Mercy
Matthew 18:23-27
“23 And so the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents, 25 and he could not pay. So his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all his possessions, to write off the debt. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, begging the king, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27 And out of pity for him, the master released the servant forgiving him the debt.”
a) It shows how we are impossibly indebted to God yet he has shown us mercy. The monetary debt in the parable represents the wrongs and trespasses we have done which we need to put right. The slave owed his master millions of dollars, and although he claimed that he would pay back every cent, it was clear that he could not. We are in that same position before God. We cannot make right all our wrongs, so God takes pity on us and grants forgiveness.
b) God has "forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled the certificate of debt... having nailed it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14). Each one of us is that slave who owed millions to his king. God is the king who had compassion and forgave the slave who pleaded with him.
The End ...
1. The Unforgiving a) The parable of the unforgiving slave illustrates the principle that Jesus also underlined when he taught his disciples to pray. Part of that model prayer pleads with God to... "Forgive us our debts even as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). Jesus commented, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6:14-15).
b) The parable of the unforgiving slave illustrates the goodness and severity of God. It portrays God as merciful to us on the condition that we are merciful to others. If we are not, then we will incur his wrath (Matthew 18:21-35).
2. Compassion And Mercy
Matthew 18:23-27
“23 And so the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents, 25 and he could not pay. So his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all his possessions, to write off the debt. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, begging the king, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27 And out of pity for him, the master released the servant forgiving him the debt.”
a) It shows how we are impossibly indebted to God yet he has shown us mercy. The monetary debt in the parable represents the wrongs and trespasses we have done which we need to put right. The slave owed his master millions of dollars, and although he claimed that he would pay back every cent, it was clear that he could not. We are in that same position before God. We cannot make right all our wrongs, so God takes pity on us and grants forgiveness.
b) God has "forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled the certificate of debt... having nailed it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14). Each one of us is that slave who owed millions to his king. God is the king who had compassion and forgave the slave who pleaded with him.
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