The Evil-Hearted Wretch

Happy Sunday!

"Pay attention and always be on your guard [looking out for one another]. If your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him."(Luke 17:3 Amplified).

Do you remember the song lyric, "It's me, it's me, it's me oh Lord. Standing in the need of prayer"?  I thought about this song while reading Luke 17.  Jesus was teaching about being offended and the absolute necessity of forgiveness.  Jesus said it is impossible to go through life without experiencing offense(Luke 17:1).  He also gave a warning, a "Woe" to those who are the offenders. I wonder if the Apostles felt overwhelmed by what Jesus was saying.  When Jesus said forgive your brother seven times in a day, they responded, "We need more faith; tell us how to get it.”(Luke 17:5 Living Bible).   In Matthew 18:21-22, when Peter asked how many times we must forgive a brother that sins against us, Jesus said, "Seventy times seven"!  Don't miss this!  That's 490 times!

Not only did I think about that old song and how I need help, I also thought about how many times the Apostle Paul said he didn't want us to be "ignorant"!  Our enemy really doesn't have any new tricks.  He just keeps doing the same things over and over again.  Sadly, we still fall for it.  BUT thank God for the Holy Spirit!  Jesus said, "But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you ALL things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you."(John 14:26 Amplified).

Jesus is the Greatest Teacher!  He used parables to help us understand how to apply what he was teaching about forgiveness.  In one example, A man owed a king ten million dollars and couldn't pay it. The man, his family and everything he had was going to be sold to pay the debt.  The man fell down and begged for mercy. The  king had mercy and forgave his debt.  BUT that same man found another man that owed him two thousand dollars.  He didn't show the man mercy like he had been shown.  "He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt would be paid in full."(Matthew 18:30 Living Bible). Word got back to the king!  "And the king called before him the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil-hearted wretch! Here I forgave you all that tremendous debt, just because you asked me to— shouldn’t you have mercy on others, just as I had mercy on you?“  Then the angry king sent the man to the torture chamber until he had paid every last penny due. So shall my heavenly Father do to you if you refuse to truly forgive your brothers.”(Matthew 18:32-35 Living Bible).

Love and prayers, Cynthia