Reflect today on those powerful and insightful words of Jesus. "Wicked servant!"

Evil servant! I forgave you all your debt because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had pity on your fellow servant as I have pitied you? Then angrily his master handed him over to the torturers until he had paid off the entire debt. So will my heavenly Father to you, unless each one of you forgives his brother in heart “. Matthew 18: 32-35

This is definitely NOT what you want Jesus to tell you and do to you! How frightening it is to hear him say, "Wicked servant!" And then to have yourself handed over to the torturers until you repay all you owe for your sins.

Well, the good news is that Jesus is eager to avoid such a terrible confrontation. He does not wish to hold any of us responsible for the ugliness of our sins. His burning desire is to forgive us, pour out mercy and cancel the debt.

The danger is that there is at least one thing that will prevent Him from offering us this act of mercy. It is our stubbornness in not being able to forgive those who have hurt us. This is a serious requirement from God on us and we shouldn't take it lightly. Jesus told this story for a reason and the reason was that he meant it. We can often think of Jesus as a very passive and kind person who will always smile and look the other way when we sin. But don't forget this parable! Do not forget that Jesus takes seriously the stubborn refusal to offer mercy and forgiveness to others.

Why is it so strong on this requirement? Because you cannot receive what you are not willing to give away. It may not make sense at first, but it is a very real fact of spiritual life. If you want mercy, you have to give mercy away. If you want forgiveness, you have to offer forgiveness. But if you want hard judgment and condemnation, then go ahead and offer hard judgment and condemnation. Jesus will respond to that act with kindness and severity.

Reflect today on those powerful and insightful words of Jesus. "Wicked servant!" While they may not be the most "inspirational" words to ponder, they may be some of the most useful words to ponder. Sometimes we all need to listen to them because we must be convinced of the seriousness of our obstinacy, judgment and harshness towards others. If this is your struggle, repent of this trend today and let Jesus lift that heavy burden.

Lord, I regret my stubbornness of heart. I regret my hardness and my lack of forgiveness. In Your compassion please forgive me and fill my heart with your mercy towards others. Jesus I believe in you.