Tag Archives: forgive

Warm those cockles (Matthew 18:23-35) April 29, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 27-31

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:23-35
Jesus: If you want to understand the kingdom of heaven, think about a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. Just as the king began to get his accounts in order, his assistants called his attention to a slave who owed a huge sum to him—what a laborer might make in 500 lifetimes. The slave, maybe an embezzler, had no way to make restitution, so the king ordered that he, his wife, their children, and everything the family owned be sold on the auction block; the proceeds from the slave sale would go toward paying back the king. Upon hearing this judgment, the slave fell down, prostrated himself before the king, and begged for mercy: “Have mercy on me, and I will somehow pay you everything.” The king was moved by the pathos of the situation, so indeed he took pity on the servant, told him to stand up, and then forgave the debt.
But the slave went and found a friend, another slave, who owed him about a hundred days’ wages. “Pay me back that money,” shouted the slave, throttling his friend and shaking him with threats and violence. The slave’s friend fell down prostrate and begged for mercy: “Have mercy on me, and I will somehow pay you everything.” But the first slave cackled and was hard-hearted and refused to hear his friend’s plea. He found a magistrate and had his friend thrown into prison “where,” he said, “you will sit until you can pay me back.” The other servants saw what was going on. They were upset, so they went to the king and told him everything that had happened.
The king summoned the slave, the one who had owed so much money, the one whose debt the king had forgiven. The king was livid. “You slovenly scum,” he said, seething with anger. “You begged me to forgive your debt, and I did. What would be the faithful response to such latitude and generosity? Surely you should have shown the same charity to a friend who was in your debt.”
The king turned over the unmerciful slave to his brigade of torturers, and they had their way with him until he should pay his whole debt. And that is what My Father in heaven will do to you, unless you forgive each of your brothers and each of your sisters from the very cockles of your heart.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus is still in the throes of His fourth sermon. He talked about brothers and sisters in the congregation who needed correction and how to deal with them. Peter asked how many times he had to forgive and Jesus responded with what seemed a ridiculously large number of times. He really says, don’t count, just keep forgiving. Then He gives us this illustration to understand the scope of forgiveness we should have because of the scope of forgiveness we have received.

In our country, we’ve kind of lost all sense of number value in the last couple of generations. With Congress and our states tossing out $1tn budgets in the same way they treat $1,000 price tags, it’s hard to keep up with what all the government numbers mean. Particularly when our leaders don’t tell us what those numbers really mean to our children’s children. We hear the numbers but it doesn’t translate very quickly to us that each of your children and each of my grandchildren (they are 7,5, 4, and not quite 2) owe just under $40,000 each if we all paid our part of the national debt. See, we just don’t understand real numbers any more.

Changing the numbers to something a little more meaningful as “The Voice” does in its translation helps us grab hold of Jesus’ illustration. The king forgave the slaves debt that amounted to more than a laborer (that’s you and me, much more than the slave) could make in 500 lifetimes. Did you get that? The laborer made significantly more than the slave, but it would take 500 lifetimes, not years, but lifetimes, to earn enough to pay off the debt if he gave every penny to the king.

Now you get an idea of the size of the slave’s debt. Jesus gives a clue as to how he could run up such a bill, perhaps he was an embezzler. So not only did he owe the king money, but he was also a criminal. The king had every right to put him in jail and throw away the key. Instead, the king forgave him because the slave asked repentantly.

But when the slave failed to forgive a fellow worker a significantly, 100 day’s pay versus 500 lifetimes pay, the king reacted. So in today’s average market what would that be, just so you get a feel for the numbers? Assuming a person works for 45 years, that’s probably a few years short, but we’ll use that number for this argument. And the average wage for a laborer today is about $25/hour, and the laborer takes two weeks vacation every year. That’s $2,250,000 earned in one lifetime with no overtime, just straight 8 hours a day five days a week. So compare that slave’s debt of $1,125,000,000,000, there’s that trillion dollars we have no concept of as a number. Versus the debt the king’s slave failed to forgive of just $20,000.

I guess he went to the same schools a lot of our kids in the last couple of generations went to. We just don’t understand how gracious God is when He forgives our sins, that $1tn debt when we are so reluctant to forgive those who do petty things against us that irritate us, that $20,000 debt. Can we get ourselves back to school to figure out how different these numbers are again? Can we begin to understand the vast level of love God has for us when He forgives us? Then can we exercise just a little of His great love to share some of that forgiveness with those around us?

Jesus says we must forgive from the very cockles of our heart. Ever heard that expression? It means the ventricles of your heart. You see, when you love someone, it makes your heart beat a little faster, a little harder. It warms your heart. It’s a great expression that came to us from the Latin. Forgive until your heart is warmed. You’ll like it. God promises.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgive how many times? (Matthew 18:22) April 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 33-34

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:22
Jesus: You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are still in Jesus’ fourth major sermon in the book of Matthew. He has given instructions to His disciples on how to deal with the unrepentant in the church. But Jesus’ goal in all of His actions and all His instructions for those who will follow Him continues to be to draw men and women to Him. He wants reconciliation and restoration as the outcome of our actions. He wants us to maintain purity within the ranks of the church. His bride will be spotless when He ushers us into the banquet hall of heaven, but He also wants us to bring as many with us as we can.

That means we must learn to forgive. So Peter, after hearing all these instructions about how to deal with tough issues within the body of believers asks the question most of us want to forget about. We don’t want to ask the question because we don’t want to hear the answer. "How many times must I forgive? Seven times?

Peter thought he was pretty magnanimous in his offer to forgive someone seven times for their offenses against him or his brothers and sisters in the church. But listen to Jesus’ words. “You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Those words probably slapped Peter in the face as much as it would us if we had asked the question.

But Jesus, you don’t know what he did to me. Forgive anyway. But Jesus, you don’t know what she said about me. Forgive anyway. But Jesus, he just keeps doing the same thing again and again. Forgive again and again. But Jesus, he just doesn’t seem to get it through his thick head that what he is doing hurts the church. Forgive and teach him. But Jesus, every time she gets around me, she seems to start with that sarcasm that just grates on everyone. Forgive and show her love.

Jesus doesn’t pull any punches in his command to forgive. In fact earlier, you’ll recall He told us that we are forgiven in the same measure we forgive. He even gave us a model prayer that reminds us to ask the Father to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. That’s pretty powerful praying. If I want God to forgive me of my sins and they are many, so are yours, I must forgive others when they sin against me. I must be willing to let go of any bitterness and anger and let God heal me of all those emotions so that I may forgive as He forgives.

Does that mean I will give an embezzler charge of the treasury? Probably not. I will forgive him, but I will also act with what I would call “smart trust”. I would not put such a temptation at his fingertips when that same temptation caused him to falter and fall before. That would be like giving an alcoholic a job as a bar tender. That’s just not smart. God tells us to forgive and we do, but He also expects us to use some smarts in how we use the talents of those around us. So that embezzler? He’s great with numbers, so why not use him in an area that allows him to use his math skills but keeps him away from money.

But forgiveness is more than restoring a person into a position or bringing them back into the fellowship of brothers and sisters. It’s a reminder of the grace and mercy God extends to us. As we recognize the position others place themselves in apart from the fellowship of God’s people and apart from God by their actions, we recognize their lost state and our hearts should break for them. We can remember how God’s heart broke for us when we were far from Him. He died for us and took us under His wing when we came repentantly to Him.

There will also be those that never repent of their wrong doing, yet we must still forgive them. Because forgiveness is not really for them, but for us. When we harbor ill feelings in our heart for someone for something they did to us or someone close to us, that bitterness takes a foothold and gives Satan a way into our spirit. It isn’t long before all that’s left is bitterness and anger and a quest for revenge. If we are to keep our hearts clean and pure, we must recognize the truth of God’s forgiveness of our sins and then willingly forgive others.

Nothing must stand between us and God or between us and our fellow man. The only way to ensure we retain that close relationship with God is to forgive and be forgiven. How many times must we forgive those who wrong us? As many times as it takes. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgive and be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15) January 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 5-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:14-15
Jesus: If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. But if you do not forgive your neighbors’ sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I do not want to hear those words from Jesus! How dare He set the condition of my forgiveness on my forgiveness! Ouch! From the time God created Adam and Eve and the world began to populate, that small community that began with two and grew from their family always depended upon their existence as a community. Our very survival depends on our living in community with others. We cannot survive alone. We might watch the “reality” TV shows that pit man against nature, but remember that so called lone survivor is surrounded by TV crews, modern technologies if he gets in trouble, respites between shows. Few people across our globe could survive long on their own. We were created to live in community, interdependent on each other.

God really does want us to live in community and the only way to do that is for us to get along with each other. The only way we can really get along with each other is to forgive each other. If we hold grudges, always seek revenge, always think poorly about those who wrong us in some way, the community crumbles. God is serious about our relationships with our neighbors. He gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan to tell us just how much that relationship means. He said love your enemies. He said do to others what you want them to do to you. He said forgive.

When we think about what He forgives against Him in my life and yours, it’s a lot easier to forgive others. When I think about my disobedience in the face of the One who knows everything about me, how can I not forgive those who wronged me? My disobedience crucified the Son of God. How does that equate to the inconvenience my brother might have caused me? How can I not forgive in the face of that comparison?

Jesus says, “If I forgive those who sin against me, the Father will forgive my sins against Him and my neighbors.” The implication is the negative is also true. If I do not forgive those who sin against me, the Father will not forgive my sins against Him and my neighbors. So the logic is clear. If I want to experience freedom from sin. If I want the guilt and stain of sin removed from my life by the forgiveness of my Father in heaven, I must forgive those who sin against me. In these words, it seems clear there is no other path to that freedom.

If I don’t forgive, I won’t be forgiven. But I also find it’s easier to forgive because I’m forgiven. If God can forgive me, I can forgive others. I can share the same grace I’ve received. I can remember the mercy God has shown me and when I do, I can extend that grace to those around me. I can show God’s love to those around me, not because of who I am or what I’ve done, but because of who He is and what He has done for me.

Is it always easy to forgive? I’ll have to admit, it is not. But it is getting easier with God’s help. In fact, often wrongs against me turn to pity instead of anger because I know the root of the action. Satan does his best to blind us while we live in these frail bodies to the truth. He tries his best to put barriers between us and make us focus on unimportant things to break our relationship with each other.

I learned a lesson several years ago that helped me forgive. I used to call it my 80% rule. As I’ve grown older and wiser (I think), I’ve revised it to the 95% rule. It goes like this: 95% of everything that happens to you today just doesn’t matter. No one will remember it tomorrow. In terms of eternity it is statistically insignificant. So there is no need to worry about it, get angry about it, or fret about it. Just let today go. But get the 5% right. And what is the 5%? Usually, normally, most of the time, it’s about your relationships – those between you and God, and between you and your fellowman.

What does the 95% rule mean? It means I can forgive the wrongs done to me, because in the long run, they just don’t matter. They go in the “so what” pile. No one will remember them tomorrow, so why should I? It’s better to just forgive my brother and forget about it. Go on with life and enjoy the grace God gives me and extend that mercy and grace to others. Living with that philosophy is what Jesus tells us to do in these verses. I can tell you, it will change the way you look at life and certainly brightens your day and your disposition as you deal with others.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do you judge or forgive? (Luke 6:36-49), Jan 6, 2015

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Today’s background scripture comes from Luke 6:37-49.

It is so easy to condemn others. To judge their words when you don’t even know what they mean. Men and women today have become so sensitive to the words people speak and assume they know their hearts. They don’t. Only I know the hearts of people. Only I understand the intent of the words that come out of someone’s mouth.

Do you think I enjoyed the prayer of the Pharisee at the altar of My temple? His words often spoke highly of Me, but only so others could hear what he thought were beautiful prayers. His selfish words were meaningless to Me. On the other hand, the tax-collector spoke gruffly, almost vulgarly, afraid to approach My altar because of his sins. His prayer of repentance touched My heart and I heard his prayer. His sins I forgave.

I know men’s hearts, men do not know each other’s hearts, though. You cannot see inside each other’s soul to see what lives there. Over time, what is there bursts through in moments of anger, fear, or selfish desire. Man cannot contain what is in his heart forever. Whether good or evil resides there, it comes out when you react in the heat of the moment. But I see your heart all the time. I know what you think every moment.

So how can you best serve Me and others? Forgive in the same measure I forgive you. Give grace and mercy to those that wrong you. Recognize you cannot know their heart and so forgive them. Do good for everyone you meet. Don’t assume you know them. You don’t. Don’t assume you understand the problems they face or the struggles they have. You probably don’t understand their problems as much as you think you do.

Just extend grace and mercy and forgiveness. Lend and helping hand. That doesn’t mean to always coddle people. Sometimes tough love is necessary to lend a helping hand. But tough love always includes grace and mercy as well. When you jump to judge, remember I forgave you without extending My justice toward you. I extended grace and mercy instead. Follow My example and do the same.

Ready – Luke 6:37-49
Set – Genesis 15; Luke 6
Go! – Genesis 15-17; Luke 6

Luke6:37-49
If you don’t want to be judged, don’t judge. If you don’t want to be condemned, don’t condemn. If you want to be forgiven, forgive. 38 Don’t hold back—give freely, and you’ll have plenty poured back into your lap—a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, brimming over. You’ll receive in the same measure you give.

39 Jesus told them this parable:

Jesus: What happens if a blind man leads a blind man? Won’t both of them fall into a pit? 40 You can’t turn out better than your teacher; when you’re fully taught, you will resemble your teacher.

41 Speaking of blindness: Why do you focus on the speck in your brother’s eye? Why don’t you see the log in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, “Oh, brother, let me help you take that little speck out of your eye,” when you don’t even see the big log in your own eye? What a hypocrite! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you’ll be able to see clearly enough to help your brother with the speck in his eye.

43 Count on this: no good tree bears bad fruit, and no bad tree bears good fruit. 44 You can know a tree by the fruit it bears. You don’t find figs on a thorn bush, and you can’t pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 It’s the same with people. A person full of goodness in his heart produces good things; a person with an evil reservoir in his heart pours out evil things. The heart overflows in the words a person speaks; your words reveal what’s within your heart.

46 What good is it to mouth the words, “Lord! Lord!” if you don’t live by My teachings? 47 What matters is that you come to Me, hear My words, and actually live by them. 48 If you do that, you’ll be like the man who wanted to build a sturdy house. He dug down deep and anchored his foundation to solid rock. During a violent storm, the floodwaters slammed against the house, but they couldn’t shake it because of solid craftsmanship. [It was built upon rock.]

49 On the other hand, if you hear My teachings but don’t put them into practice, you’ll be like the careless builder who didn’t bother to build a foundation under his house. The floodwaters barely touched that pathetic house, and it crashed in ruins in the mud.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.