For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Matt. 18
Who do you need to forgive…again? Why should you? Describe God’s forgiveness of you as pictured in Jesus’ parable. When reading through this parable of the unmerciful servant, I stopped to read the footnotes and do a little math. Boy did that really put things into perspective! According to the footnotes, the ten thousand bags of gold (or talents) the unmerciful servant owed equates to about 200,000 years’ salary. That is not a typo – 200,000 YEARS! On the other hand, the debt this same servant was unwilling to forgive equated to 100 days’ wages. Not even half a year.
Okay, I get it. There is absolutely nothing anybody can do to me or take from me that could even come close to my own fault before a righteous and holy God. Not even close. Thus, if I look at how others might sin against me in relation to how I have sinned against God, it can’t help but look ridiculously petty. If I can’t give back, by passing on, even this pitifully tiny fragment of the forgiveness God gave me, one has to wonder if I really accepted His forgiveness. If I had, I should have it in abundance – more than enough to share.
Jer. 3-4
Repeatedly, the Lord calls for them to return to Him. Where have you strayed from God? What does it look like for you to return? God offers His forgiveness to all. Does that mean He excuses our wrong-doing? Not exactly. Both the Matthew and Jeremiah passages for today stress the importance of repentance. Repentance means that we acknowledge our guilt and turn from our wicked ways. When we do that with sincerity, God absolutely removes all record of our sins. Not only that, but He promises, “I will cure you of backsliding.” (From Jer. 3:22).
But if God’s love is unconditional and our salvation does not come from our own efforts, why is repentance required? The answer to that question may be a bit complex. However, I think it boils down to the fact that God is righteous, we are not, and we are unable to make ourselves righteous. God mercifully doesn’t ask us to make ourselves righteous. Neither, though, does He force righteousness on us. Thus, if we don’t desire to be made righteous, we won’t be. And without righteousness, we can’t survive in the presence of a righteous God. So without repentance – acknowledging our guilt and turning from it – we become like that unmerciful servant who failed to receive the forgiveness offered to him.
Ps. 117
What two reasons does the psalmist give to praise the Lord? Praise the LORD because His love and His faithfulness have no limits.