Scripture:

Matthew 18:

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. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

Observation:

Mercy received is mercy given. 

It was in 1996 that the Cowboys beat the Packers for the 8th consecutive time by a score of 21-6.  The Cowboys kicker booted a record tying 7 field goals to win the game but it was the last one that really got the Packers angry.  The game was out of reach with just 20 seconds left when the Cowboys called time out and brought the kicker onto the field.  Aikman tried to wave off the field goal team but there would be “no mercy” that day.  I remember watching the Packers steaming on the sidelines.  When Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother who sins against him….Jesus in effect answers…”a lot more than you think”.  It’s the mercy rule.  Don’t kick him when he is down.  Forgive.  Let it go.  Have mercy.

Unfortunately in the parable Jesus tells…the man who is forgiven his debt can’t seem to have the same mercy on one who owes him.  And in the end…he is shown no mercy as well.

Application:

It’s hard to forgive when someone does us wrong.  It goes against our human nature to let it go…and cancel a debt.  We want our due.  We want justice.  We want someone to pay.  What we have so quickly forgotten is the debt that we owed was paid on our behalf by Jesus.  A debt we could never make up.  He had mercy on us.
You’ve got good reason to show it to someone else.

Prayer:

God thank you for your mercy in the person and work of your Son Jesus.  As we receive yours…lead us to give it to others as well.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.