What the Bible says about Willingness to Forgive
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Matthew 18:23-35 Jesus, really wanting to drive home the importance of being forgiving (Matthew 18:21), tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. The story relates how a king, settling accounts with his servants, finds that one owed him 10,000 talents. Barnes' Notes, written in the late 1800s, estimates the value at $15.8 million! Christ's point, of course, is that no one could ever repay this huge amount. Spiritually, we owe Him far more than we could ever repay. Normally, the servant would be cast into prison and his family sold into slavery until all was paid. But when the servant entreated the king to have mercy on him, the king, "moved with compassion," forgave the entire debt! The forgiven servant then found one who owed him 100 denarii or about $15. This petty debtor begged for additional time to pay off the debt, but the servant, without mercy, had him jailed until all was paid. The king's other servants heard of this and told the king. We can learn several lessons from this parable: 1. Our sins are very great. 2. God has forgiven them all. 3. By comparison to the offenses we have committed against God, our brethren's offenses against us are small. 4. We should be so appreciative of being forgiven that we freely forgive others. 5. We must forgive from the heart, not merely in words. When we truly forgive from the heart, it is as if no offense had ever occurred. 6. If we do not forgive, God is justified in not forgiving us. John O. Reid Forgiveness Related Topics: Forgiveness | Forgiving Attitude | Forgiving Others | God's Forgiveness | Indebtedness | Indebtedness to God | Parable of the Unforgiving Servant | Willingness to Forgive

Matthew 18:26-34 We desire others—especially God—to be patient and forgiving toward us in our faults, but do we practice the same attitude and conduct toward those whose faults offend us? Patience is a two-way street, and God clearly demands reciprocity. He expects us to pass His patience and forgiveness toward us on to others even as Christ did. John W. Ritenbaugh The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience Related Topics: Forbearance | Forbearance, God's | Forgiveness | Forgiving Attitude | Forgiving Others | God's Forbearance | Patience | Reciprocity | Willingness to Forgive

Matthew 18:28-30 The heartlessness of the forgiven man—along with his utter disregard of his obligation to emulate the gracious example of his king—is sin. Compared to our offenses against God, the offenses that our brethren commit against us are small and insignificant. Since God has forgiven us so much, we ought to forgive each other of anything, large or small (Matthew 6:15). Grace bestowed puts the receiver under obligation to manifest the same grace to others. Even though a person receives forgiveness, it does not guarantee that he will be a better person, as this deceived world generally believes today (as seen in how ineffective leniency on murderers, rapists, and thieves is.) Martin G. Collins Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Related Topics: Consciousness of Forgiveness | Forgiveness | Forgiving Others | Grace | Leniency | Love and Sense of Obligation | Obligation | Obligation, Sense of | Parable of the Unforgiving Servant | Willingness to Forgive

 

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