“Mercy
On You”
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven
may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When
he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to
him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with
his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the
slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will
pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released
him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon
one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii,
and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow
slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay
you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison
until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they
were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had
taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you
pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had
mercy on you?” And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he
would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of
you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Matthew
18:23-35
The more we reflect on Jesus’ parables
proclaiming grace, the more tempted we might become to apply the word atrocious
to describe the mathematics of the gospel. Jesus gave us these stories to call
us to step completely outside our world of ungrace
and enter into God’s realm of infinite grace.
If we care to listen, we hear a loud
whisper from the gospel that we did not get what we deserved. We deserve
punishment and yet we receive forgiveness. We deserve wrath and we receive
love. We deserve debtor’s prison and we get a clean history. We deserve stern
lectures and fall down on your knees repentance. Instead, we receive a banquet,
just for us.
Our sin is
great – God’s grace is greater.
Our
Daily Bread –