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THE MONEY LENDER
“A certain
creditor had two debtors; one owed 500 denarii and the other 50.
When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of
them. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I
suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.” And
Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
I am writing this just
three days before Christmas, and I think about all the families
who are struggling in this economy. Many face foreclosure of
their home. Others face losing jobs. Many have stretched their
credit to the limit. Wouldn’t it be a joyous
moment for those people if the phone would ring and a voice on
the other end would say, “This is your bank calling,” or “This
is the credit card company calling,”
or maybe “This is your boss calling.” And the voice would say,
“We have decided to just wipe the slate clean. Consider your
home paid off, or “Your credit card balance has been reduced to
zero” or, “Don’t worry, your job is safe.” Just picture
the scene. People jumping up and down, overcome with joy,
singing praises to the bank, the credit card company or their
boss with tears streaming down their cheeks.
Most people have
experienced times in their lives when there was more
month than there was money, times when they had to sit down and
figure out how to stretch a paycheck, which bills could be paid
and which would have to wait. But Jesus was not talking about
financial problems. He was talking about
spiritual debts. He was talking about our sins, great and
small. How many times have we fallen short, committed an act of
selfishness or dishonesty or failed in other ways? In our
confession, we ask forgiveness for things done and things left
undone, for sins known and sins unknown. We fail over and over.
But each time we do, Jesus calls. And the voice on the other end
says, “I have decided to wipe the slate
clean. I forgive you. You don’t owe anything. Why? Because I
love you. I love you so much I am willing to die for you,
and I will do this over and over.”
But I wonder ―
do we react to this call the same way we would if it was the
bank or the credit card company or our boss calling? Do we jump
up and down? Do tears stream down our faces? Is it the most
joyous occasion?
Which one of us should
love him more? The answer is all of us. We should love him with
all our strength and all our might, because he first loved us.
Jump for joy or fall on your knees, but know that no matter how
great or how small your debt, Jesus is always there to say:
“Don’t worry. All is forgiven.”
Father in heaven,
help us to forgive others as you have forgiven us. Amen
Jerry Whetstone
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