Matthew 18:35

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Scripture: Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.

Observation: This scripture comes right after the story Jesus tells Peter, when Peter asked how often he was to forgive his brother. One servant owed his master a debt he could not pay, and the master commanded that he, his wife and his children be sold to pay the debt. But the servant fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.  The master was compassionate and forgave the man of the whole debt. But this same servant, to whom the master showed mercy, later was in the position of having someone else owe him, and he did not forgive, nor did he have compassion, but he cast his fellowservant into prison because of the debt that was owed. When the master found out, he delivered the uncompassionate servant into the hand of the tormentors. The story is completed by Jesus telling Peter "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses."  The point of the story Jesus told, is the as God has forgiven us, so ought we to forgive one another. (And when God forgives us, our sins are never brought to remembrance again.)

Application:  What I really noticed about this verse is that the forgiveness we ought to have towards one another is from the heart. ( I did a very lengthy bible study on the use of the word heart a while back, so it is something that tends to stand out to me.) Forgiveness is not simply telling someone you forgive them, it is not simply telling others you forgave them... it isn't merely words or even a choice... it is a deep seated conviction that will require conscious action over and over again. Forgiveness is choosing to put a wrong doing out of our minds... our of our hearts... from now until the end of time. It requires us to consciously choose to put it aside each time that  it is brought to remembrance.
Bitterness and forgiveness are both issues of the heart. When we tell someone that we have forgiven a wrong and then bring the event to mind again, (whether dwelling on it in our own time, or telling another about a wrong that was committed against us, legitimate or not) we have not forgiven them from the heart. We are hiding bitterness in our hearts and each time we bring to mind a trespass against us, and dwell on in, we are feeding that bitterness. Forgiveness is the opposite... When a wrong that was committed against us is brought to mind, we must consciously choose to lay it aside, to remind ourselves that we have forgiven and that it no longer has any bearing on our lives. This is the forgiveness that God has extended to us... He has put our sins behind His back (and no matter how many times you turn looking for something that is behind your back... you cannot see it! Just ask my children!) This is the forgiveness we are told to extend to others.

Prayer:Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your mercy, Your love, and Your forgiveness. Thank you for this lesson... I know I needed it, and that others may too.  Lord, until I was forgiven by You, I never understood what forgiveness truly was. I never understood the heights or depths to which it could reach. Lord, please help me show others true forgiveness. Help me extend it to them, teach them about it and point them to the forgiveness that You have offered us all through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that you would use my words, both here and spoken to point others to You. Lord, please help me to survey my life and to see if there is anyone that I have forgiven in word only... anyone that I need to forgive from the heart. And help me to forgive them as You have forgiven me. In Jesus name. Amen.