Parable of unforgiving/unmerciful Servant

 Parable of u forgiving/ unmerciful Servant

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We find the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant only in Matthew 18:23-35. The Apostle Peter had asked how many times one should forgive, "Till seven times?" and Jesus answered, "Not seven times but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22). The context of this passage is Jesus teaching His disciples about the "kingdom of heaven." We can take some very important principles from this parable and apply them to our lives today.

The servant whose lord forgave him much, ten thousand talents, equivalent to several millions of dollars, was unwilling to forgive another servant who owed him a hundred denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage and was worth approximately sixteen cents. Therefore, compared to what the first servant was forgiven, this was a very small amount. The principle here is, "the one forgiven much should forgive much." In other words, the principle of forgiveness is that grace or forgiveness to another is without limit. The disciples are not to count the number of times they forgive. Rather, as the parable teaches, they are to forgive much because God has forgiven much.

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus is presenting a new principle that is similar to the basis of the forgiveness command for believers found in Ephesians 4:32, "And be ye kind to one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." Jesus is teaching His disciples pre-cross, and therefore in the pre-church age, but the basis for forgiveness is the same. Because God has forgiven us, we are to forgive each other. Therefore, because we have received much grace, "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8), we are commanded to give that same grace to others. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the first servant’s debt was forgiven, and he was not required to repay until his unforgiving nature was discovered. In contrast, our sin debt was paid in full by Christ and is the only basis for God’s forgiveness. We cannot repay our debt to God or earn our salvation. It is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Therefore, in the Parable of the Unforgiving / Unmerciful / Unjust Servant, Jesus is teaching His disciples, and us by extension, that forgiveness should be in like proportion to the amount forgiven. The first servant had been forgiven all, and he then should have forgiven all. In like manner, a child of God by faith through Christ has had all sins forgiven. Therefore, when someone offends or sins against us we should be willing to forgive him from a heart of gratitude for the grace to which we ourselves are debtors.

The parable of unjust man (luke 16:1-13)

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13)

The Parable of the Unjust Steward can be found in Luke 16:1–13. The text can be broken down into two parts: the parable (verses 1–8) and the application (verses 9–13). Luke 16:1 identifies that Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but there is a suggestion that His audience is mixed—disciples and Pharisees. Luke 16:14 states that the Pharisees “heard all these things and ridiculed [Jesus].” We also see in verse 1 that Jesus “also” said to the disciples; the “also” would suggest that this parable is connected to the previous three in Luke 15 and that the audience was a mixed crowd of disciples and Pharisees.

It is important to know to whom Jesus is addressing this parable. The parable is for the benefit of the disciples, but there is also a not-so-subtle critique of the Pharisees, as was evident in Luke 15. Verse 14 is Luke’s commentary on the motivation of the Pharisees, and in verse 15 we see our Lord condemn their motives. And what was the Pharisees’ motivation? They were those who were “lovers of money” and who “justify themselves before men” and who exalted that which was an “abomination before God.”

With that as a backdrop, let’s look at the parable. It’s a fairly simple, if somewhat unorthodox, parable from Jesus. The story is simple, but the setting is unusual. In most of Jesus’ parables, the protagonist is either representative of God, Christ, or some other positive character. In this parable the characters are all wicked—the steward and the man whose possessions he manages are both unsavory characters. This should alert us to the fact that Jesus is not exhorting us to emulate the behavior of the characters but is trying to expound on a larger principle.

The parable begins with a rich man calling his steward before him to inform him that he will be relieving him of his duties for mismanaging his master’s resources. A steward is a person who manages the resources of another. The steward had authority over all of the master’s resources and could transact business in his name. This requires the utmost level of trust in the steward. Now, it may not be apparent at this point in the parable (but is made more evident later on), but the master is probably not aware of the steward’s dishonesty. The steward is being released for apparent mismanagement, not fraud. This explains why he is able to conduct a few more transactions before he is released and why he is not immediately tossed out on the street or executed.

The steward, realizing that he will soon be without a job, makes some shrewd deals behind his master’s back by reducing the debt owed by several of the master’s debtors in exchange for shelter when he is eventually put out. When the master becomes aware of what the wicked servant had done, he commends him for his “shrewdness.”

In His application of the story in the remaining verses, Jesus begins by saying, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). Jesus is drawing a contrast between the “sons of the world” (i.e., unbelievers) and the “sons of light” (believers). Unbelievers are wiser in the things of this world than believers are about the things of the world to come. The unjust steward, once he knew he was about to be put out, maneuvered to collect some quick cash, cheat his master (who more than likely was cheating his customers), and make friends of his master’s debtors—who would then be obligated to care for him once he lost his job.

What does this have to do with believers being wise about the life to come? Let’s look at verse 9: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Jesus is encouraging His followers to be generous with their wealth in this life so that in the life to come their new friends will receive them “into eternal dwellings.” This is similar to Jesus’ teaching on wealth in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus exhorts His followers to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21).

The term unrighteous (or worldly) wealth seems to strike readers the wrong way. But Jesus is not saying that believers should gain wealth unrighteously and then be generous with it. “Unrighteous” in reference to wealth can refer to 1) the means in acquiring wealth; 2) the way in which one desires to use the wealth; or 3) the corrupting influence wealth can have that often leads people to commit unrighteous acts. Given the way in which Jesus employs the term, the third explanation seems the most likely. Wealth is not inherently evil, but the love of money can lead to all sorts of sin (1 Timothy 6:10).

So, the principle that Jesus is trying to convey is one of a just steward rather than an unjust one. The unjust steward saw his master’s resources as a means for his own personal enjoyment and advancement. Conversely, Jesus wants His followers to be just, righteous stewards. If we understand the principle that everything we own is a gift from God, then we realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards. As such, we are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s goals. In this specific case, we are to be generous with our wealth and use it for the benefit of others.

Jesus then goes on to expand in verses 10–13 the principle given in verse 9. If one is faithful in “little” (i.e., “unrighteous” wealth), then one will be faithful in much. Similarly, if one is dishonest in little, he will also be dishonest in much. If we can’t be faithful with earthly wealth, which isn’t even ours to begin with, then how can we be entrusted with “true riches”? The “true riches” here is referring to stewardship and responsibility in God’s kingdom along with all the accompanying heavenly rewards.

The climax of Jesus’ application is verse 13: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (see also Matthew 6:24). If God is our Master, then our wealth will be at His disposal. In other words, the faithful and just steward whose Master is God will employ that wealth in building up the kingdom of God.

Spiritual Oxygen

Spiritual Oxygen: 

Are You Getting it? scenery mountain spiritual oxygen, Home Bible Studies and more Spiritual Oxygen:

 Are You Getting it?

“Breathe in…breathe out…. You do it 12-14 times a minute without thinking”, 

Breathing is a miracle we don’t stop to think about very much. We just do it. It keeps us alive. In the same amazing way God has given us as Christians a way to “breathe spiritually” for our spiritual well-being. Spiritual breathing, like physical breathing, is a process of exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure. It can become a way of life.

But the average Christian does not understand this concept and as a result lives on a spiritual roller coaster, controlling his or her own,  life resulting in frustration. On our own we may at times have a fresh start in life only to lose it again – negative thoughts, angry words, slammed doors…… How could this change?

It could change by learning and applying the concept of spiritual breathing, which is like physical breathing in that:

You “exhale” by confessing your sins as soon as you become aware of it, and claim God’s forgiveness…. And then……You “inhale” by asking the Holy Spirit to once again control and empower you to help you from returning to that sin.

Usually we don’t give much thought to our physical breathing. But spiritual breathing is something that requires conscious action – a readiness to “exhale”, or confess our sin, and to “inhale”, or trust God to fill us with his Holy Spirit.

Don’t wait to exhale. Be quick to confess. We can pause and confess our sin as soon as we entertain a sinful thought, speak an ugly word, or act on evil desires. “Spiritual exhaling” is agreeing with God about our sin, whether in thought or deed, thanking Him for his forgiveness, and expressing a willingness to change our attitudes and actions. The Practise of breathing spiritually aids in developing a God-consciousness, which in turn serves to keep the revived heart spiritually focused and less susceptible to continual sinning.

To inhale spiritually is to claim and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. How do you do that? When you first received Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit immediately enters your life and he never leaves – John 1:12; Colossians 2:9-10; John 14:16-17. Though all born-again Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not all are continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. When the negative circumstances of life crowd in and we take control of the reigns of our life, we push pack, or crowd out the Holy Spirit, when really we should, “Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit” – Ephesians 5:18.

 “It is a continuous, conscious choice I make to walk in the Holy Spirit’s power. Repentance isn’t a one-time thing; it’s giving my life over to God and asking Him to direct my decisions on moment-by-moment basis. Though spiritual breathing is a conscious thing, the more I choose to do it, the more it becomes second nature.”

Are you ready to ask the Holy Spirit to direct your life? Why not pray this simple prayer right now and by faith invite God to fill you with His Spirit:

Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you by directing my own life. I thank you that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.

If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.

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Do not conform to the Pattern of this world , be transformed

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Cost:

The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever. (1John 2:17) ,2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man if in Christ, her is new Creation: old things are passed away; behold all things have become new. Trusting on Jesus finished work in the cross that we no longer live because our old self is crucified with Christ and we gave become new hence strive to be transformed by our newness of our mind as we no longer belong to this world.

Effect:

Scripture gives us many clear examples of God revealing His will to people such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, and many others. Henry Blackaby has written that with all these examples, the pattern was the same. 1) He came to them; 2) He revealed His planned activity; 3) They believed Him and adjusted their lives to Him; 4) they obeyed Him; and 5) They experienced God doing His will through them. God still comes to us and speaks to us through prayer and through His Word, and enables us to adjust our lives to Him and see His will lived out in us.

Jesus taught the disciples to pray for God’s will to be done, and by extension, He is teaching us the same thing. The will of God consists of things that are in line with God’s plan and purpose. Simply stated, it is the things that God wants, and God is unafraid to communicate these things to us. So we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind to reveal the will of our good , perfect and acceptable will of God and live according to that.

Risen with Christ , Seek things which are above (Colossians. 15:3-4)

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

 

Cost:

he price Christ paid for us was precious that is His own precious blood. Here, blood is used to reference the totality of Christ's atoning work. By dying on the cross, being buried, and rising again—all according to the Scripture (1 Cor. 15:3-4)—Christ paid for our redemption and w are risen with Christ from dad state.

Effect:

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4). This is the result of the process paid by Christ and putting trust on that We must seek now the tings of the above where Christ is gone after rising from the dead.

Glory to God!

Sing to the Lord , He has dealt bountifully twith us (Psalm 13:6)

Psalm 13:6, I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Cost :

In prayer faith is encouraged, through believing the heart is filled with joy; and this joy is expressed by the lips, in songs of praise to the Lord, ascribing the glory of salvation to him, and giving him thanks for every mercy and blessing of life.

Effect:

God will bless in both in a way of providence and grace, granting life and preserving it, and supporting with the comforts of it; blessing with spiritual blessings, and crowning with loving kindness and tender mercies; all which is generous and bountiful

Glory to God!

Toungue defile the whole Body (James 3:3 to 7)

  

James 3:3  Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whither soever the governor listeth.

5  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

6  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

 

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The passage discusses here about the bits on horse mouth to make them obey and likewise ship although driven of fierce winds but turned by small helm as per the wish of the captain. Tongue is like wise a very small part of the body of the human being but boast great things and kindle a great fire. The tongue defiled the whole body and put on fire the course of nature.

 

1.We put bits to horse and rudder in ships to control: A small bit in the mouth controls a strong horse and small rudder turns a large ship. Likewise, so, if we have control over our tongue, it is an indication that we have control over our self. Whoever can control the tongue can bridle the whole body (James 3:2).

 

i. The bit and the rudder are small but extremely important. If they are not controlled the entire horse is out of control and the entire ship is out of control. It is possible for something as small as the tongue is to have tremendous power for either good or evil.

 

ii. You don’t solve the problem of an unruly horse by keeping it in the barn, or the problem of a hard-to-steer ship by keeping it tied to the dock. In the same way, even a vow of silence is not the ultimate answer for the misuse of our tongue.

 

iii. If the tongue is like a bit in the mouth of a horse or the rudder on a ship, it leaves us with the question: Who or what holds the reins, or who or what directs the rudder? Some people have no hand on the reins or rudder, and therefore say whatever comes into mind. Others direct their tongue from their emotions or from aspects of their carnal nature. James points us towards having the Spirit of God, working through the new man, set directing hands on the reins and rudder that is our tongue.

 

2.little fire can kindle so great forest and likewise the tongue cis sad to set on file of hell: The fire of the tongue has been used to burn many.

 

i. “In the two former illustrations, animals and ships are controlled by small objects; in this last illustration, a huge forest is destroyed by a tiny spark. The tongue likewise can either control or destroy.”

 

ii. What others say to us and what we say to others can last a long time, for good or for evil. The casual sarcastic or critical remark can inflict a lasting injury on another person. The well-timed encouragement or compliment can inspire someone for the rest of their life.

 

iii. Proverbs speaks of the person who doesn’t consider the destructive power of his words. Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbour, and says, “I was only joking!” (Prob.26:18-19).

 

iv. Again, James isn’t telling us to never speak or to take a vow of silence; in many ways that would be easier than exercising true self-control over the tongue. The bridle, the rudder, and the fire can all do tremendous good when they are controlled properly.

 

3.The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: There aren’t many sins that don’t involve talking in some way and it is vice versa.

 

i. “It can run the world over and bite at everybody; being as a sharp razor that instead of shaving the hair cutteth the throat, (Psalm 52:2). It is made in the shape of sword; and David felt it as a sword in his bones, (Psalm 43:10).

 

ii. James echoes the testimony of Proverbs regarding the tongue: · In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom. (Prov.10:19-21). Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. (Prov.12:25). Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. (Prov.16:24).

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Prob.18:21).

 

Bible says in Proverbs:

Prov.15:1 soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Porv. 21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Hence let us keep a watch over our tongue.