TRANSFORMING THURSDAY
When is the last time you gave someone a break?
Do you give people the benefit of the doubt?
How are you at giving 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances?
How about 490 chances?
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I majored in Special Education back in the early '70's because I had a passion for the "underdog". It didn't take me too long to understand that not everyone thought like me. Yet, the more I have studied and worked with people, it has become increasingly obvious to me that most people are in need of some form of "special education". In general, people don't often get things right the first time!
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Yes, there are people who have challenges in their thinking from maybe background experiences or even a specific learning disability. For them, it might take explaining something over and over again in multiple ways before they make the connections and "get it". Our fast paced, instant gratification society has no patience for that!
Yes, there are people who have challenges in their thinking from maybe background experiences or even a specific learning disability. For them, it might take explaining something over and over again in multiple ways before they make the connections and "get it". Our fast paced, instant gratification society has no patience for that!
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How can Jesus shine through you? Forgive! Be merciful! In so doing, you are lighting a candle... you are piercing the darkness.
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The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 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?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 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.
26 “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.
21 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?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 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.
26 “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.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “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.
32 “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.
35 “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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"BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL,
FOR THEY WILL RECEIVE MERCY."
Matthew 5
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