Seventy Times Seven

In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus commands us to forgive others "70 times seven" times. Then Jesus shares the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. A servant owes his employer 10,000 talents, a huge amount of money. When the servant asks for more time to pay the debt, his employer forgives the debt and wipes his slate clean.

Not long after that, this same servant approached a man who owed him 100 denarii, a much smaller sum. The man begged the servant to give him more time - but the servant would not forgive the debt. In fact, he put the man to death!

At the end of this story, which man was freed from his burden: the servant or his employer? What burden of forgiveness do you need to set down?

Queens, let's pray for God to give us the strength to forgive, so we might release what's holding us back.

Image: "Parable of the Unmerciful Servant" by Jan Van Hemessen, painted circa 1556.