2024-10-18
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Mercy and forgiveness fit hand and hand with goodness and kindness, two of the Holy Spirit’s gifts from GA 5: 22-23. They also relate to patience and humility. Those who make the snap judgments I wrote about last week, don’t have mercy and often, not forgiveness. MT 18: 22-35, which I hope you will read now, is the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. This a story Jesus told after being asked by Peter, “How many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” In this story, a king wanting to settle accounts with a man who owed him 10 bags of gold. The man couldn’t pay, so the king ordered him, and his family sold to pay the debt. The man begged him not to do this, and the king forgave his debt and let him go. That servant found another servant who owed the forgiven one 100 silver coins but didn’t treat him as he had been. The forgiven servant choked the second man and demanded immediate payment, at which time the second man begged him to forgive his debt, having him thrown into prison. Observed by other servants after this refusal, they went to tell the king what had happened. An angered king handed the once forgiven servant over to be tortured and was told he should pay back all he owed. “This is how your Father will treat you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart,” Jesus concluded to Peter.
Having a forgiving heart was taken up by David in PS 32: 1, “O, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” A number of the Bible’s authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had wisdom to give on God’s perspective on forgiveness. Isaiah writes, in IS 55: 6-7, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and He will have mercy on him. Our Lord will freely pardon.” EPH 4: 32 and COL 3: 13 both repeat the same notion, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you…Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” 1 JN 1: 9, “But if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is right, He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” That is the merciful heart of our faithful God. PS 103: 11-12, “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; so far are the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” What great power our God uses to forgive and show mercy toward us.
Mercy and compassion require patience and love. PS 116: 5, “The Lord is kind and does what is right; our God is merciful.” PS 103: 13 tells us that we, His adopted children, are treated by Him like a Father does His children, with tenderness and compassion. We can plead with God when we feel the need for mercy, using PS 107: 1, “Say, ‘Thank You,’ to the Lord for being so good, for always being so loving and kind.” PS 145: 9, 17, “The Lord is good to all; His tender mercies are over His works…The Lord is righteous in all He does, merciful in all His acts.” All of these citations show the nexus between goodness, kindness, mercy, compassion, patience, and even humility. After all, we must remember that our God humbled Himself when He came in the form of a Man, Jesus Christ, showing all these attributes to give us an example of what the gifts of the Holy Spirit matter so much for us. His faithfulness in being a Promise Keeper is reason enough why we should pledge our faith in Him and spend our lives being like Him.
PRAYER: O Most Holy Father, patience and forgiveness are perfected by mercy. Revenge exacted by humans is a work of the evil one. That is why You tell us, in RO 12: 19, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is Mine to avenge; I will replay,’ says the Lord.” When we refuse to forgive, it leads to bitterness and serves no constructive purpose. When we are forgiving and merciful, we show others a kindness and goodness that reflects the presence of the Holy Spirit. We thank You, Lord, for the wisdom shown in these notions and citations, that can make a mean-spirited world a better place. We praise You in giving us opportunities to reflect the light of God in our behavior. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m led by the Holy Spirit to write about how patience leads to forgiveness made fuller and more perfect by mercy. We need to see ways Christ uses patience in pouring out God’s mercy. When people are bitter from holding a grudge, they can’t be having inner joy and peace. I’ve seen the destructive behavior that grudge-holding can lead to. It is not a pretty picture and can even destroy a person’s reputation. I pray that none of us make the choice to refuse to forgive, to be unkind, or to engage in allowing the evil one to direct our relationships, either with God or with other people. It is Christ’s atoning sacrifice that gives those who profess genuine faith in Him and confess their sins, the choice to live righteously. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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