Yesterday, we looked at the first part of Jesus’ parable about the debtor who owed the king a myriad of gold. Today, we’re going to examine the really tragic second half of that story. After being forgiven a debt equivalent to billions of dollars, the servant left the king’s presence elated and full of joy; however, when he spotted one of his fellow servants who just happened to owe him a hundred silver coins — about two thousand dollars in today’s currency — he ran up to the guy, started to choke him, and violently demanded to be paid what he was owed. Though it’s hard to understand his motive for being that unmerciful when he had just been forgiven so great a sum, I’ve sometimes wondered if he was panicked because he was broke. Whatever the case, the sad truth is that when his debtor begged for mercy, he refused to forgive him. In fact, he went so far as to have him thrown in prison until he could pay every cent that he owed! Hearing about his lack of mercy, the king was understandably outraged, and he placed the man in the hands of jailers to be tortured until he paid the debt back in full. Because he refused to extend the same mercy he had received, he got a life sentence and forfeited his right to freedom.

My friend, as a person who has been forgiven a myriad, you have the power and responsibility to pay it forward. Since you are a benefactor of salvation and you walk as one set free, the highest call on your life is to do the same for others. As much as it depends on you, be an ambassador of mercy who provides a pillar of compassion and grace to everyone you encounter, no matter how much sacrifice it requires. Since you understand the high price of your pardon, choose not to withhold the manifold blessings of forgiveness from hearts that are imprisoned and tortured by sin and shame. Rather, because you possess the peace that surpasses understanding and you walk every day in liberty, be quick to forgive on behalf of others the same ten thousand talents that have been forgiven you!