Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 5
Tuesday


THE ATROCIOUS
MATHEMATICS
OF THE GOSPEL

READ:
Matthew 18:23-35
_________________________________

The master of that
servant was moved with
compassion, released
him, and forgave him
the debt. __Matt. 18:27
_________________________________

From childhood we are taught how to succeed in the world of ungrace. "You get what you pay for." "The early bird gets the worm." "No pain, no gain." I know these rules well because I live by them. I work for what i earn; I like to win; I insist on my rights. I want people to get what they deserve.

But Jesus' parables about grace teach a radically different concept. In Matthew 18, no one could accumulate a debt as huge as the servant did (vv.23-24). This underscores the point: The debt is unforgivable. Nevertheless, the master let the servant off scot-free.

The more I reflect on Jesus' parables proclaiming grace, the more tempted I am to apply the word atrocious to describe the mathematics of the gospel. I believe Jesus gave us these stories to call us to step completely outside our tit-for-tat world of ungrace and enter into God's realm of infinite grace.

If I care to listen, I hear a loud whisper from the gospel that I did not get what I deserved. I deserved punishment and got forgiveness. I deserved wrath and got love. I deserved debtor's prison and got instead a clean credit history. I deserved stern lectures and crawl-on-your-knees repentance. Instead, I got a banquet spread for me. __Philip Yancey
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~~~~~~~~His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~His power has no boundary known unto men;~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~He giveth and giveth and giveth again. __Flint~~~~~~~~~
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Our sin is great__God's grace s greater.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ Mattheew 18:23-25***********

23 Therefore the kingdom of
heaven is like a certain king
who wanted to settle
accounts with his servants.

24 And...one was brought
to him who owed him ten
thousand talents. 25 But as he
was not able to pay, his
master commanded that he
be sold, with his wife and
children and all that he had

....
26 The servant therfore fell
down before him, saying,
"Master, have patience with
me, and I will pay you all."

27 Then the master...was
moved with compassion,
released him, and forgave
him the debt. 28 But that
servant went out and found
one of his fellow servants
who owed him a hundred
denarii; and he laid hands on
him..., saying, "Pay me
what you owe!"

29 So his fellow servant fell
down at his feet and begged
him,... "Have pateince with
me, and I will pay you all."

30 And he would not, but
went and threw him into
prison.... 31 So when his
fellow servants saw what had
been done, they were very
grieved.... 32 Then his
master...said to him,
You wicked servant! I forgave
you all that debt because you
begged me, 33 Should you not
also have had compassion on
yor fellow servant, just as I
had pity on you?" 34 and his
master was angry, and
delivered him to the torturers
until he should pay all that
was due to him.

33 So My heavenly Father
also will do to you if each of
you, from his heart, does not
forgive his brother his
trespasses.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Matthew 18:23-35 is an example of Jesus' teaching by parable--an
earthly story with a heavenly meaning. As we read a parable, the story
is generally intended to communicate one truth, not layers of ideas.
Here the one truth is the need for those forgiven to freely forgive
others as well. __WEC