To Forgive or Not to Forgive?
Notes
Transcript
Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”
“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.
“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him.
Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.
“At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’
Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.
“That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’
“At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed.
When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.
Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed.
So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.
But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.