Forgiveness: Parable of the unforgiving servant

Forgiveness is a huge word to comprehend because the word is not the focus, it is the action behind the word itself that validates it's very existence.  Recently I made it a point to set out and apologize to everyone at work that I had spoken malicious things of.  It was incredibly hard to swallow my pride, especially since I looked down at them from my supposed high point for so long.  God would not let me forget these individuals as He placed each instance in my mind day after day, and how I acted poorly in each case.  Once one sincere apology came out there was always another incident in my mind where I made a poor decision to verbally attack someone else.  For a little bit I felt so ugly when I realized the type of human being I had become inside.  The part that was hardest was finding the strength to actually say the words that could tell the other person I was truly sorry.  For that I had to once again lay my plight at God's feet and kneel as a sinner.

While thinking of the topic of forgiveness I remembered a favorite parable of mine from the bible, the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35).  For those of you that do not know the story here it is straight from the bible.

                               Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'
The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'

In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
(NIV) Matt 18:21-35

Many emotions come from wrongs done to us and those acts that we commit against others.  Everyone always feels pain, embarrassment, pride, and a slough of other emotions.  It was the hardest thing for me to ask forgiveness of others when my pride had gotten in the way, and even a harder thing to forgive those whom I thought I could weigh judgement on.  Having a tender heart and a slow tongue are things I now pray for all the time.  When I forget to use either of them I once again kneel down and ask God to forgive this sinner.