Set Free...

"Then Peter came to Him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Matthew 18:21

When Jesus answered Peter's question it had to send shivers down his spine...seventy times seven!! Wow!!  Jesus was basically telling Peter not to put a limit on how much forgiveness he was willing to disperse.  Jesus follows this with a tale of a man who owed his master a considerable amount of money.  When the man was unable to pay his debt, the master freely forgave him.  Yet the servant was not willing to do the same for others.  He went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him money, but was unable to pay the debt.  And, even though he had been freely forgiven he refused to give out the same forgiveness he had received.  When the master found out he was furious!  He called the servant in, chastised him for his refusal to forgive, and then threw him into prison; where he was to remain until he had paid his debt in full.  

The story is meant to remind us of the great forgiveness we have received through Jesus, from our Heavenly Father.  And, how we are expect to freely forgive other for the sake of Christ as we have been forgiven.  Un-forgiveness is indeed like a prison! It causes mental and physical sickness.  The only one who suffers from our refusal to forgive others is ourselves!  If you are holding a grudge against someone, let go! Forgive those who have done you wrong, and set yourself free!  Forgive as you have been forgiven, and you will be set free from the anguish that comes from holding on to anger and hate!  Forgive and be free!

"But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:26