Matthew 18:24, 28 | In 2019 Missouri, that number for us would be well over $7 Billion! Meanwhile, for us, the servant would have been owed about $15,000.
Matthew 18:27, 30 | The King felt compassion, forgiving the unpayable debt. The servant kept on refusing to forgive! This is critical! There are two parts of forgiveness: the CHOICE of forgiveness and the EMOTION of forgiveness. Choosing to forgive is entirely different than the emotions that come through that process, and it is through God’s Spirit that we have the power to continue that process daily!
Matthew 18:33 | Remember: Mercy is not receiving what you deserve. Grace is receiving what you do not deserve. Jesus makes sure we do not miss this point: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (v. 35). See also Matthew 6:15. Our vertical relationship with God cannot exist without also having the horizontal relationship with one another.
Colossians 3:2-3 | Setting our minds on things above means to seek the heart of God! What is He like? What is He interested in? How does He work? He is The Rescuer! He is The Redeemer! He is The Restorer! See Isaiah 55:8-9 which refer to 55:7! See Romans 4:5! See Galatians 3:2! See Titus 3:4-8!
Colossians 3:12 | Our actions always flow from our identity. And our identity is the CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD! As Stan Lee wrote: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility (Jesus had it first in Luke 12:48). But remember: the POWER is the SPIRIT Who comes to us through HIS WORD!
Colossians 3:13-14 | Memorize this passage! This is what it looks like to take the mercy and grace of God and sharing it with others. This is the path to unity: THROUGH LOVE.
Colossians 3:16 | HOW we do this: THROUGH THE WORD OF CHRIST! Let it dwell in you richly! Let His Word carry you into teaching, guiding, and singing. The POWER is the SPIRIT Who comes to us through HIS WORD!
Dig Deeper: Psalm 1, Isaiah 55:11, Romans 1:16, 15:4-7, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Timothy 2:3-6.