Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’
‘Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
‘At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
‘But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded.
‘His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.”
‘But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
‘Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’” (Matthew 18:21-35 NIV)
Yesterday, I wrote of the difficulty in admitting we are wrong because of our pride. It is also the source of our inability to forgive others. Pride inevitably leads us to focus solely on ourselves. Life is always about us if pride has its way.
When Peter posed his question about forgiveness to Jesus, his pride was behind it. He was looking for confirmation that he was a very gracious and compassionate man. To forgive a person seven times? Wow, how generous! Yet, as He was so ought to do, Jesus humbled Peter with His response. He compared Peter’s mercy with that of God and Peter came up short, very short.
Pride always leads us to paint ourselves in a favorable light. It leads us to focus our attention on comparing ourselves with others. In Peter’s case, he thought he was very magnanimous compared to others. But Jesus showed the standard by which we are to compare ourselves is not other people, but God. By doing so, pride is constrained by humility. Compared to God, we are nothing regardless of what image we may have created in our minds.
It is through humility, then, we are able to forgive others because we recognize God’s mercy towards us. How can we say we will never forgive so and so when we acknowledge God has forgiven us for offenses far greater? If we can, then pride has fully captured our hearts.
I have met many who remain bitter for years over offenses committed against them. They may say things like, “I forgave them,” or “I’ve moved on,” but in reality unforgiveness remains. Pride leads them to mouth forgiveness while withholding it. Sadly, they remain in bondage and risk the same treatment on their day of judgment. For the Lord will not tolerate a lack of mercy in our hearts when He has bestowed so much on us.
Today, are there individuals in your life towards whom you have bitterness and whom you refuse to forgive? If so, then recognize that pride has captured your heart. If you freely receive the forgiveness of the Lord, who are you to withhold it from others? As Paul tells us, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). You may think the offense too great to forgive, but applying the Lord’s standard instead of your own will keep your pride in check and secure He is merciful to you when you stand before Him after you have taken your last breath.
© Jim Musser 2016
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