Scripture: “A man
loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the
other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both,
canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Luke
7:41-42 (NLT)
Once
Jesus shared a meal with a very judgmental person. He used this story to show
that a person who understands their debt and receives forgiveness will have
great love for the one who forgives. Being judgmental and unforgiving shows
that you have little regard for God’s forgiveness.
Do to Others as You Would Have Them Do to You (Luke
6:31)
Jesus
tells a story about a man who loaned money to two people and then cancels both
debts. (Luke
7:41-42) One person owed more money than the other, so Jesus
asked “Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answers, “the one
who had the bigger debt forgiven,” and Jesus agrees (Luke 7:43).
Jesus
said, “a person who is
forgiven little shows only little love” (Luke 7:47). That shouldn’t sound like you or
me. We should think of ourselves as the first person in the story rather than
the second. Our debt is sin instead of money. God is perfect, holy and
righteous. Any sin against Him deserves punishment, but He canceled our debt.
When it’s time to forgive others, remember the huge debt of sin God canceled
for you and forgive.
We All Need Forgiveness
Many
people don’t think they need forgiveness. They might think, “My sins are small
compared to THAT person. I’ve never committed murder or adultery.” But God has
a higher standard. Jesus tells us that even being angry with another makes us
guilty of murder, and looking lustfully at someone is equivalent to adultery (Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 5:28).
This
shows we all need forgiveness. The Bible goes on to say, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of
God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). And, “For
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through
Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Forgive Others Because Christ Forgave You
(Ephesians 4:32)
Jesus
died on the cross and forgave us from a debt we could not repay. Are you
grateful for His sacrifice? I know I am. When others hurt you and sin, remember
that you and I have hurt a perfect God. Instead of God being angry with us, He
forgave us. We should treat others the exact same way.
When we
forgive others, it is a small picture of God’s forgiveness. We can even make it
an opportunity to share the gospel by saying: “Because God has forgiven my sins
through Jesus Christ, I am able to forgive you.
Pray : Lord, please help me to remember the gift of
forgiveness you’ve give me when I need to forgive others. Help me to joyfully
forgive others just as you have forgiven me.
(Sources : Why Should
We Forgive Others? - by Godlife )
