The Cruel Servant

Peter, one of the disciples, asked Jesus. 'Lord, how many times should I forgive someone who has wronged me? Should it be up to seven times?

'Not seven times, but seventy times seven, answered Jesus, and to explain what he meant, he told this story to his disciples.

'There was a king who was very kind to his servants, and would lend them money when they needed it. When he found that one servant owed him a huge sum of money, he had the man brought to him. 

As the man couldn't repay the money, the king ordered that all the servant's possessions should be seized and that he, his wife, and his children should be sold as slaves.

'The servant fell on his knees in front of the King and begged. 'Lord, please be patient with me and I'll repay everything I owe you. 

The King felt sorry for the man: he allowed the servant to go free without repaying the debt.

'When that servant found that another servant couldn't repay him a very small sum of money he had borrowed from him, he grabbed the man by the throat and demanded. 

Pay me what you owe me now. The servant fell on his knees and begged for time to pay.

'The first servant had no mercy; 'he had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. The other servants were very upset by the way the cruel servant behaved, and went to tell the King.

'The King sent for the cruel servant. You are a wicked man, he said angrily; 'When you begged for mercy and time to pay. I forgave you your huge debt, but when my other servant couldn't pay you, a tiny debt. 

You showed him no mercy. You should have forgiven him in the same way that I forgave you. The King ordered that the cruel servant should be put in prison until he could repay all his huge debt.

'That is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive, from the bottom of your heart, anyone who has treated you badly.


↪ The Cruel Servant

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