You OWE me...not in God's Kingdom!

Matthew 18:23-35
Jesus says: "The Kingdom of God may be compared to..." and tells a story that is summed up like this:

A servant is called by the King to pay all His debts--which are BIG!  But he cannot pay and even though rightfully he deserves prison--the King has pity on him and releases him from all debt.

This same servant goes and finds a fellow servant, who owes him a relatively small amount and demands to be paid in full--his fellow servant begs for mercy but is given none and put in prison.

I have seen this same scenario played out by Christians over and over and over and over!!!  O how petty our hearts are!  How many times have we refused to forgive because we have be "hurt"!  Or stood on the ground that "it's not my fault" so why should I forgive them?  We get bitter, and hard...breaking off relationships, holding grudges, letting feuds develop--all because we want what we are OWED!  (be careful what you wish for!)

Jesus' message about the Kingdom of God is simple:  In God's Kingdom debts are forgiven by the King, and those who are forgiven are to do the same for others.  To hold another in debt to you is NOT the way of God's Kingdom!  (and yes, I know this sounds backwards to our sense of justice!)  But the point is that we have a King--Jesus--who has forgiven us ALL our debt (sin, wrong-doing), so who are we to hold it over another?

The story ends with Jesus saying there was an outcry against this first servant and the King came and delivered him to the jailer.  And Jesus ends by saying: "So my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive another from your heart" (that is from a heart that is forgiven by the King!)  In another place Jesus says we are to forgive as we have been forgiven...and that if we do NOT forgive, we will not be forgiven.

The way of God's Kingdom all flows from our KING JESUS--he has forgiven us
--not because we are worthy or earned it--but by grace and through His own payment for our debt.  He invites us into His Kingdom to live with the same "Kingdom values" as have been shown to us.

If as you read this people or situations come to mind in which you have not forgiven another...take time to bring that to Jesus--ask Him to help you...and go and forgive as you've been forgiven!