Forgive us our debts

"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors"

In Ortberg's book, this chapter is based on the Matthew parable of the servant who owes a great deal of money to the king, who is forgiven, and who then will not forgive the man who owes him a pittance compared to what has been forgiven of him.

One talent (according to Bible Gateway) is equal to 15 years worth of a laborer's salary; therefore, 10,000 talents equals 150,000 years of work. A better way to look at it is "more money than the an average person could even dream of having." It could be equal to the king's country's entire net worth. A question arose last night: who in his right mind would LEND this much money to a servant?

It's a question I had never thought of before. What does it tell us about God? It brought to my mind the father in the Prodigal Son story. What kind of father would give his son 1/3 of his property only because he demanded it? And when he probably fully expected the son to waste it? What does that tell us about the nature of God?

God is generous beyond our imagining. 

And then - and THEN - the king forgives the debt. What kind of king forgives a debt equal to the value of his whole country? And then, the father welcomes the son back, without even a word of apology from him. What does this tell us about God? 

God offers grace beyond our imagining.

That, I think, it the story. Our generous God offers us tremendous and unimaginable grace. How do we respond? Do we do our best to offer forgiveness to someone else? Or do we say, "I can never forgive him."?

How do we respond to a God like ours?