THE PARABLE OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT
Forgiveness is important because it is an essential part of the Christian faith. Christ himself said that we must forgive others if we want to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15).
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is a story that Jesus told to illustrate the importance of forgiveness. In the parable, a servant who has been forgiven a large debt by his master is unwilling to forgive a smaller debt owed to him by another servant. When the master learns of this, he punishes the unforgiving servant. The point of the story is that we should forgive others because we have been forgiven by God.
There are six main points that can be gleaned from the parable:
- Forgiveness is important
- We should forgive others because God has forgiven us
- Unforgiveness leads to punishment
- Forgiveness is an act of mercy
- Forgiveness shows humility
- Forgiveness is an act of love
The Importance of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is important because it is an essential part of the Christian faith. Christ himself said that we must forgive others if we want to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus makes it clear that forgiveness is not optional – it is something that we are expected to do.
The reason why forgiveness is so important is that it is an act of mercy. When we forgive someone, we are showing them compassion and understanding. We are saying that we are willing to let go of the hurt and pain that they have caused us. This is not always easy to do, but it is always the right thing to do.
We Should Forgive Others Because God Has Forgiven Us
One of the main reasons why we should forgive others is because God has forgiven us. We have all sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). But God, in His mercy, has forgiven us for our sins. He has washed us clean and made us new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because God has forgiven us, we are called to forgive others.
This does not mean that we should excuse the bad behavior of others. Forgiveness does not mean that we forget what they have done or that we allow them to keep hurting us. But it does mean that we are willing to let go of our anger and resentment towards them. We are willing to start fresh and move on from the hurt that they have caused us.
Unforgiveness Leads to Punishment
In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the unforgiving servant is punished by his master. This is because unforgiveness leads to punishment. When we refuse to forgive others, we are essentially saying that we do not deserve forgiveness ourselves. We are saying that we are better than God because we are not willing to forgive as He has forgiven us.
This attitude of unforgiveness will only lead to more pain and suffering in our lives. It will cause us to miss out on the blessings of forgiveness that God has for us. So instead of holding onto unforgiveness, we need to let it go and allow God to work in our lives.
Forgiveness Is an Act of Mercy
As we have seen, forgiveness is an act of mercy. When we forgive someone, we are showing them compassion and understanding. We are saying that we are willing to let go of the hurt and pain that they have caused us. This is not always easy to do, but it is always the right thing to do.
Forgiveness is also an act of humility. When we forgive someone, we are admitting that we have been wronged. We are admitting that the other person has hurt us. But we are also saying that we are willing to let go of our pride and forgive them anyway. This takes a lot of humility, but it is something that we are called to do as Christians.
Forgiveness Shows Humility
As we have seen, forgiveness is an act of humility. When we forgive someone, we are admitting that we have been wronged. We are admitting that the other person has hurt us. But we are also saying that we are willing to let go of our pride and forgive them anyway. This takes a lot of humility, but it is something that we are called to do as Christians.
Forgiveness also shows love. When we forgive someone, we are saying that we love them enough to let go of the hurt and pain that they have caused us. We are saying that we are willing to start fresh and move on from the hurt that they have caused us. This is not always easy to do, but it is always worth it in the end.
Forgiveness is important because it is an essential part of the Christian faith. Christ himself said that we must forgive others if we want to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus makes it clear that forgiveness is not optional – it is something that we are expected to do.
So instead of holding onto all our grudges and resentment, we need to let them go and allow God to work in our lives. Forgiveness is not always easy, but it is always worth it in the end.
Remember: FORGIVENESS IS NOT FOR OTHER PEOPLE. IT’S FOR YOU. IN ORDER TO HAVE PEACE AND CONTINUE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER. DO NOT DRINK THE POISON OF UNFORGIVENESS.
