Devotion Booklets for Seasons of the Church Year Lent 2018 | Page 34

Forgive Like God
Tuesday, March 13th
Ephesians 4:32
Forgiveness is something we like to get more than we like to give. This is nothing new- Jesus dealt with
his own disciples struggling to conceive of forgiving each other. It's no surprise that Peter is bold
enough to come to Jesus to ask.
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister
who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
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“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.
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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.
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“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay
back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
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“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.
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“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. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their
master everything that had happened.
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“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of
yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on
you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he
owed.
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“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister
from your heart.”
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Have you been stingy with forgiveness? Those sins have been washed away! We can rejoice that past
tense is used in our reading "in Christ God forgave you." This gives us confidence God's love which we
see in Christ makes this a done deal!
Prayer: O Savior, when we loved you not, You loved and saved us all; O great good Shepherd of
mankind, Oh, hear us when we call. Send us your Spirit; teach us truth to purge our vanity. From
fancied wisdom, self-sought ways, O Savior, set us free. Amen.
Activity: Discuss the various things we do to stay healthy. According to the Mayo clinic, people who
hold grudges have increased blood pressure and heart rates. The benefits of forgiving include less
anxiety, stress and hostility, lowered blood pressure, decreased symptoms of depression, and will
lower the risk of alcohol and drug abuse. The act of forgiveness can change one’s life by bringing
peace, happiness, along with emotional and