Forgive to be Forgiven.

Quiet Talks On Prayer.

by S.D. Gordon

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

      “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 

“But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.“

So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

A man owed his lord a great debt, 12 million dollars; that is to say and unpayable amount. And his lord generously forgave him the whole debt. That is Jesus' picture of God as he knows him best. Then this forgiven man went out and found a fellow servant who owed him - how much do you think? Have you ever thought Jesus had a keen sense of the ludicrous? Surely it shows here. He owed him about $16.25. . 

In effect, Jesus says what we have been forgiven by God is an unpayable amount. And what we are not willing to forgive is like $16.25 by contrast. What little puny folks some of us are in our thinking and feeling!

"Oh, well," someone says, "you do not know how hard it is to forgive." You think not? I know this much - that some persons and some things you cannot forgive of yourself. But I am glad to say I know this too, that if one allows the Spirit of Jesus to sway the heart he will make you love persons you cannot like. No natural affinity or drawing together because of disposition, but a real yearning love in the heart.

Jesus' love, when allowed to come in as freely as he means, fills your heart with pity for the man who has wounded you. An infinite, tender pity that he has sunk so low as to be capable of such actions.

But the fact to put down in the sharpest contrast of white and black is that we must forgive freely, frankly, generously, "even as God," if we are to be in prayer touch with God. End.

Personally, I have found this to be true. When I have had anger or hate in my heart towards anyone, I have asked God to put love in my heart. He does this. I learn to pity those who hurt me and it gives a great freedom to my heart.

The Empty Room.

My sister and I were discussing Matthew 12:43-45. "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before."

We think Jesus meant that after the Holy Spirit comes inside us, cleanses us from sin and unites us with God we must not let our hearts become empty of the Spirit. Like Israel every morning went out and gathered fresh manna, so we must each day gather wisdom and strength from God through prayer and reading the Bible. Jesus said, "Eat my flesh and drink my blood." He becomes a part of us and fills us.

The man with the evil spirit left himself empty. If we do this then we will become filled with evil and be "slaves to sin," as Jesus also said. If God does not fill us then Satan will. My sister said, "I knew prayer and Bible study were vital, but I didn't know why until now."

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible 
http://bible.cc/matthew/12-44.htm

Into my house - The soul of that person from whom he had been expelled by the power of Christ, and out of which he was to have been kept by continual prayer, faith, and watchfulness.

He findeth it empty - Unoccupied, σχολαζοντα, empty of the former inhabitant, and ready to receive a new one: denoting a soul that has lost the life and power of godliness, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit.

Swept and garnished - As σχολαζω signifies to be idle, or unemployed, it may refer here to the person, as well as to his state. His affections and desires are no longer busied with the things of God, but gad about, like an idle person, among the vanities of a perishing world. Swept, from love, meekness, and all the fruits of the Spirit; and garnished, or adorned, κεκοσμημενον, decorated, with the vain showy trifles of folly and fashion. This may comprise also smart speeches, cunning repartees, etc., for which many who have lost the life of God are very remarkable.