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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is debt cancelled. To cancel a person’s debt is to forgive him or her. When a person offends you, he or she owes you, therefore when you forgive him or her, it is equal to cancelling the debt he or she owes you. In our reflection, we shall focus on the following facts about debt cancellation:

1. Debt cancellation or forgiveness has no limit among believers or children of God.
2. A person whose debt is cancelled is obliged to do the same to others.
   
   REFLECTION
   Firstly, debt cancellation or showing mercy and forgiveness has no limit among believers. Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22). Peter wanted to know how many times one has to forgive an offender. In Peter’s understanding seven times is very reasonable. Why seven times? The number seven was symbolic in ancient Israelite culture. It communicated a sense of perfection, fullness, wholeness and completeness. In Peter’s understanding if a person is able to forgive an offender seven times then the person has fulfilled his or her moral and spiritual obligation of achieving perfection, therefore if the offender offends the eighth (8^th) time and beyond, the one being offended is justified not to forgive the offender but take a retaliatory action against the offender.  Jesus’ reply to Peter, increased the number of times a person should be forgiven to seventy-seven. In fact, no sane person would deliberately offend you seventy-seven times. Jesus is in effect saying that, if we want to achieve spiritual and moral perfection when it comes to forgiving others then we must have no limit for showing mercy and forgiveness. Imagine if God would show us mercy or forgive us our sins only seven (7) times, who will exist on the face of the earth? It is for this reason, Jesus thought us to pray, “… forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12). Since God has no number of times or limit set for forgiving our sins, we must also not have any limit set for forgiving others. The debt we owe God is immeasurable and countless yet he does not count them against us, so why count the debt of others against them? We have no justification for keeping records of the debts or sins of others because God keeps no records of our debts or sins.
   
   Secondly, It is God’s commandment that a person whose debt is cancelled must also cancel the debt of others. In other words, a person who receives mercy and forgiveness has an obligation to do the same for others. It is important to re-emphasize the point that showing mercy and forgiveness is an obligation on the part of a believer, it is not a choice. It is for this reason when the servant who had his debt cancelled by his master refused to cancel the debt of another servant who owed him, “ the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled 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 handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. (Matthew 18:32-34). Beloved in the Lord Jesus further admonishes us that  “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35) In other words, forgiveness is a spiritual and moral obligation. It is not a choice! Jesus again instructs us in Luke 6:37 that “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;” We are also greatly admonished by Paul in Ephesians 4:31-32 to “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
   
   Beloved in the Lord, it is sad to mention that some Christians are unable to cancel the debt of others yet each time we pray the Lord’s prayer we ask God to forgive us our debts or sins. Some of us have kept records of those who have offended us in our hearts and have developed bitters and resentment against them for days, weeks, months and years. Out of bitterness, we sometimes pray against these people and their families even in Church. Because of our inability to forgive, our relationships with our parents, children, spouses, friends, colleagues at work and church members have been fractured. Interestingly, in our bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness we come to the Lord’s supper or Communion to take part in the sharing of the body and blood of Christ which are actually the very symbols of mercy and forgiveness. My dear friend, for how long will you keep holding on to that grudge and harbouring bitterness in your heart against that person who offended you in the past? For how long will you keep attending Church with the burden of unforgiveness in your heart? For how long will you keep carrying this burden of pain and bitterness in your heart? Jesus admonishes us that “…whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25). Let us follow Jesus’ perfect example of showing mercy and forgiveness. After He had been tortured and crucified, just as some of us have been unjustly accused, maligned and hurt, Jesus prayed to God, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). We are greatly encouraged and consoled with the words of Paul when he wrote that “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21) Shalom.
   
   In summary, we have deliberated on the theme, “ The debt cancelled”. In our reflection, we focused on two main facts, first, debt cancellation or forgiveness has no limit among believers, and second, a person whose debt is cancelled is obliged to do the same to others. May the Holy Spirit empower us to cancel the debt of others even as we also receive mercy and forgiveness from God.
   
   PRAYER

Merciful God, thank you for cancelling our debt and saving us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen us to follow the perfect example of our Lord Jesus Christ in cancelling the debt of those who owe us. Amen.