Living LifeWise: The Unmerciful Servantનમૂનો

We’ve all met someone who seems to keep a running tally of every small offense—a coworker who won’t let you live down a minor mistake or a friend who remembers every time you were a few minutes late. What makes it even harder to watch is when that same person is constantly on the receiving end of generosity: people offering help, patience, and second chances, yet he or she refuses to extend the same grace to anyone else. That kind of stingy heart is what Jesus warns us about in His parable of the unmerciful servant.

Right after the king forgave his servant’s unimaginable debt, that same servant went out and found a fellow servant who owed him just a small amount of money—pocket change compared to what he’d just been forgiven. Instead of showing the same mercy he had just received, he grabbed the man, demanded payment, and had him thrown into prison.

It’s easy to shake our heads at this servant. How could he forget what the king had just done for him? But if we’re honest, we sometimes do the same thing. We forget how much God has forgiven us, and we hold onto anger, pride, or the desire to get even when someone hurts us.

Mercy is not just a feeling; it’s an action. It’s choosing to release someone from the debt we think they owe us, even when we feel justified in demanding repayment. Forgiven people forgive—not because the hurt doesn’t matter, but because we’ve been shown a mercy that is far greater than any hurt we could ever experience.

Bitterness chains us up, but forgiveness sets us free. When we remember what Jesus has done for us, we find the strength to loosen our grip on anger and extend the mercy we’ve been given.

Reflect: Reflect on Matthew 18:28-30. Consider how the servant responded after being forgiven so much. Reflect on times you’ve struggled to extend mercy and how God might be calling you to let go of anger or resentment.

• Why do you think it’s so easy to forget how much we’ve been forgiven?
• What makes it hard to let go of anger or the need for “payback”?
• Who in your life might need you to release them from a debt you’re still holding over their head?

Pray: Pray for the humility to remember the depth of God’s forgiveness toward you and for the courage to extend that same mercy to others.