Parakalein

Jesus told the story of a Master who forgave his servant who owed him $10,000.  WIth great compassion he wiped the debt clean because the servant begged for grace and mercy.  Later that "forgiven servant" began to demand from a fellow servant the $10.00 he owed him.  He likewise asked for grace and mercy but the "forgiven servant" refused to forgive this smaller debt and put him in prison.  Some of the other fellow servants witnessed this and told the Master who was indignant.  He called the "forgiven servant" in and confronted him with "should you not have had the same compassion toward him that I had toward you?  He then put him in prison.  Jesus then said, "so shall your heavenly father deal with you if you do not forgive your brother in your heart!"

Forgiveness is a matter of the heart.  It is not that I forgive my brother in the sense that what he did is oaky.  It is that my heart is okay toward my brother.  When forgiveness transforms your heart then from and in your heart you have forgiveness toward your brother.  The "forgiven servant" was not transformed in his heart. therefore did not have a heart of forgiveness.  He was already in an internal prison of "un-forgiveness".  It is nice to have our debt forgiven but if we are not  transformed into being as God is toward all, "forgiving" then we are still in prison.  It is not just about being forgiven, it is also about having a heart of forgiveness toward all.  It is also about being released from "a heart of unforgiving" which is incongruent with a "forgiven heart".

In effect Jesus is saying to Peter and all of us, It is not just about being forgiven, it is about being transformed in the heart to a state of compassion toward all regardless of anything.  We are to forgive others just as God for CHrist sake has forgiven us.  How is that?  God forgives us by having a heart of forgiveness toward us.  We are nor truly forgiven until we ask for forgiveness, until we are transformed in our heart and offer that same compassion to all.

It is not about forgiving anyone what they did to us as if that is okay.  It is about having forgiveness in ur heart toward our brother regardless of anything because I do not regard their sin as against me but against them.  They are  in prison I am free of the prison of un-forgiveness and have the prism for forgiveness.  the prism fro forgiveness sees everyone with compassion and colors everyone as forgiven in my heart.  They are not fully forgiven until they are released form their prison.

Free to be compassionate is truly free.