Extending Grace

I'm exhausted today because we had a rough night at the Chamberlain household. It felt like our whole house was under attack. I'm not one to look for Satan behind every bush, but I can't think of a better explanation for it. Today I'm feeling much better. It's amazing what morning can bring.

I heard a great teaching on the radio this morning. It was one of those quick 60 second teachings that they play on KLOVE. It was on the parable about the man who owed his boss 10000 talents and, when told to pay up, begged his way out of the debt. As you might imagine, he was quite happy about that since 10000 talents was a lot of money. I've read that a single talent is a year's wages for a laborer. A talent weighs 66 pounds.

How did he respond to this? He went and found someone that owed him only 100 denari and demanded repayment. When his debtor couldn't repay the loan he attacked the man and had him thrown in jail. I think it's important to understand that a denari is about a day's wages. So while this was not an insignificant sum, it was nothing compared to what he was forgiven.

Oh how often I am like this man! I have been forgiven of the most incredible debt possible by the blood of Christ, and yet I so often cannot forgive those who slight me. Maybe it's "that guy" who doesn't turn off his cell phone in a movie or "that guy" who decides that he's not going to merge when everyone else did a mile ago and has to slow down traffic to force his way in at the very end. Maybe it's my wife who doesn't unload the dishwasher when I think she should. As I write these and compare it to the grace God extended to me through the blood of Christ I am just amazed at my selfishness sometimes.

Instead, I need to remember this from Luke 7:

41"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49Then those who were at table with him began to say among[h] themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" 50And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."